Nicole Key, right, fell on the field after UK beat Florida but still celebrated with, from left, Ryan Lemond, Amanda Lemond and Donte Key.
Nicole Key hopes Kentucky recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow doesn’t judge her son Dane’s athleticism based on what happened to her. Nicole Key and her husband, former UK linebacker Donte Key, were at Saturday’s UK-Florida game along with their son, Dane, a four-star receiver and priority UK recruiting target. Dane Key had already made his official visit to UK but was back for another unofficial visit.
After the Cats won 20-13, Nicole Key and her family — along with friends Amanda and Ryan Lemond — joined fans that decided to come on the field.
Unfortunately, it did not go exactly as planned and Nicole Key suffered a broken tailbone and wrist when she slipped and fell after climbing over the wall and jumping about six feet or so to the stadium turf.
“I am good. Just a little sore,” she said Tuesday. “I wish I had a big story to tell about how it happened but unfortunately I just forgot I was 50 and in flip flops. I went over the wall and my feet came out from under me. I landed on my tailbone and wrist. I was just being an idiot.”
Surprisingly, her husband and Ryan Lemond, a Kentucky Sports Radio personality and long-time family friend were not on the field to catch her and make sure she did not fall.
She admits she “got caught up in the moment” when her alma mater beat Florida at home for the first time since 1986.
“There was also some peer pressure. Ryan and Donte kept saying, ‘Jump.’ Donte made me go first. Can you believe that?” she said. “Then after I fell Donte said, ‘I thought you were more coordinated than that.'”
She knew she might be hurt, but Nicole Key was determined to find receiver Dekel Crowdus, Dane Key’s teammate at Frederick Douglass who is now a UK freshman, and senior defensive back Davonte Robinson, a player her husband coached in Little League who also played with her older son, Devon.
“I didn’t think I was okay, but I told them let’s go on out on the field. We even went to the football facility and I gave Vince a big hug,” she said. “When we were leaving, I thought maybe I should go to the ER (emergency room) because deep down I knew something was not right.”
Her wrist is in a cast. She said there was nothing to really do for her tailbone except “sit in a cute little donut and wait for it to heal” however long that takes.
Dane Key plans to make his college choice on Oct. 28. That is Devon’s birthday and he hopes he can make it back from Kansas City — he’s now with the Kansas City Chiefs — for the decision. Dane key has his choices down to Michigan, Oregon, South Carolina, and Kentucky.
His mother said not to read anything extra into the Keys being on the field after the game when it comes to Dane’s college choice.
“I don’t know what school Dane is choosing but I am not breaking bones for any other team,” Nicole Key said. “I hope he can make a decision by then since he put that date out there. It’s a little overwhelming making this choice.
“But we were all just out there celebrating the win. It was an exciting game. UK fans are not always known for being that loud and excited from start to end. It was really a great atmosphere. The other schools we have gone to you see that from the beginning of the game to the end. This was a great game for Dane to attend.”
She won’t be back for Saturday night’s game against LSU. She’s planning to be in Kansas City to visit Devon and hopefully watch the Chiefs play Sunday.
Dane Key is not making the trip to Kansas City because he didn’t want to miss football time with Frederick Douglass. She’s not sure if he will be back at Kroger Field Saturday night or not.
Kentucky had a lot of recruits at the Florida game and likely will have a lot again this Saturday night. Nicole Key was not sure how many other recruits went on the field after the game.
“I saw several of them on the field,” she said. “I don’t know if they all made the leap (to get on the field). They might have seen me fall and just decided to stay up there where they were.”
