If Your Name’s McKeever, Your School’s USC, Right? : San Pasqual Graduate Puts End to Tradition

SAN DIEGO —  Barry McKeever could have made an easy--and obvious--decision. It would have been as simple as saying, “U-S-C.”

His father and uncle were All-American football players at USC. His mother and sister were All-American swimmers at USC.

So, where did McKeever choose to continue his football career after playing at San Pasqual High School?

Stanford.

“What I did was try to pull myself away from the emotional aspect and look at the programs,” McKeever said. “Through three weeks of hell, it came out that Stanford was the best for both my academic and football needs. USC is a fine institution. Stanford speaks for itself.”

McKeever, a sophomore linebacker, has made a good accounting in 1986. He is the second-leading tackler for the undefeated Cardinal. Stanford plays host to San Diego State Saturday afternoon.

Looking back, Stanford could easily have been No. 2 to USC on McKeever’s list.

“I let Barry make the decision on his own,” said his mother, Judy Gannon. “I think he made the right decision. If you have a chance to go to Stanford, I think you should take it. If you graduate from there, you have a very good chance of being successful.”

If McKeever had chosen USC, he undoubtedly would have been in the limelight.

Barry’s father, Mike, was an All-American offensive guard in 1959, six years before he died as the result of an auto accident shortly after Barry was born. Barry’s uncle, Marlin, was an All-American tight end in 1959 and 1960 for the Trojans.

Barry’s sister, Teri, knows the feeling of following her family’s footsteps to USC. Teri, now an assistant women’s swimming coach at USC, said she is surprised at the number of Trojan boosters who remember her father and uncle.

And Teri McKeever is often asked why her brother didn’t attend USC.

“I tell people that he did what he wanted to do,” Teri said. “I wish he was here now. It would be convenient to have him close. I think he made the best decision for himself. It took a lot of guts for him to say he wasn’t going where his dad and Teri went. I admire him for not going with the flow.”

Barry is the third oldest of Judy Gannon’s 10 children. Teri is the oldest. Mac, the second oldest, was a walk-on football player at SDSU before transferring to Cal State Long Beach, where he played through last season.

Barry’s first experience in sports was in age-group swimming, probably because the family backyard has 25-yard and 50-meter swimming pools. He swam competitively until he was 12, but played soccer in junior high school.

As a freshman at San Pasqual, McKeever competed in football for the first time. As a senior, he was named to The Times’ All-San Diego County team.

Bob Woodhouse, then San Pasqual coach, said McKeever was a superior athlete. Once in a scrimmage against San Dieguito, Woodhouse left only McKeever in the middle of the line. San Dieguito attempted three consecutive quarterback sneaks but didn’t gain a yard.

“Barry was such a dominant force,” Woodhouse said. “He allowed us to do a lot of things defensively that we couldn’t normally do. We’d clean out the middle and have him take on three guys. He was so dominant that nobody could handle him.”

Woodhouse said McKeever was “all arms and legs” in high school. The coach tried to encourage McKeever to build his body by lifting weights but was unsuccessful.

“Barry didn’t know where the weight room was,” Woodhouse said. “Well, he did. He’d go by and socialize. He didn’t think lifting weights was important in high school. Usually, blue-chippers know how important it is. He thought it was a joke. His interests were not the same as everybody elses.”

McKeever’s interests were in a variety of sports.

He played basketball for the fun of it. He participated in track and swimming simultaneously, and he was co-swimmer of the year for the San Diego Section in 1984.

No wonder he didn’t have time for the weight room.

“People who just played football lifted weights in the off-season,” McKeever said. “My off-season was always another in-season. Growing up, I was always fairly skinny and lanky. I was about 5-10 in eighth grade and 6-1 1/2 before my sophomore year. I grew to 6-3 my junior year and haven’t grown since. It was weird how my body kept growing and growing. It was hard for me to adjust.”

Woodhouse said McKeever gained needed weight his senior year, going from 220 to 240 pounds.

When McKeever arrived at Stanford in 1984, he was a freshman redshirt. Last season, he was a backup and recorded 17 tackles. He earned a starting spot this year in spring practice.

And Stanford’s coaches have gotten him into the weight room.

“He’s naturally big and strong,” said Larry Kerr, Stanford’s linebacker coach. “He needed to tone up his body a little. His biggest attention during the off-season was focused on realizing his weaknesses and working hard in the weight room. The reason he’s doing so well is because he put his mind on what had to be done.”

At times, McKeever’s thoughts center on what lies ahead. If he has an outstanding career, people will naturally compare Barry to his father and uncle.

“The comparisons haven’t come yet,” Barry said. “I expect them in the future. My first year here, I was mostly asked if I was related. My father and uncle were great football players. It’s not fair comparing me to them.”

Said Barry’s mother: “I don’t think that was ever a problem for him. When you live in Los Angeles or Newport Beach, where USC people are, it makes a difference. In Escondido, a lot of people don’t care about that.”