Sean McKeon (born December 28, 1997) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
for the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
.
Early years
McKeon attended
Shepherd Hill Regional High School
Shepherd Hill Regional High School is located in Dudley, Massachusetts, United States. It is a regional high school covering the towns of Dudley and Charlton. The school is part of the Dudley-Charlton Regional School District. The principal is ...
. As a sophomore, he only played as a
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
, totaling 38 tackles (3 for loss), 2 sacks, one pass defensed, one fumble recovery and one blocked a field goal.
As a junior, he was a two-way player at
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
and
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
, contributing to the team having a 10-2 record and winning the Division 4 Central Region state championship.
As a senior, he played in a
Double Wing
In American and Canadian football, a single-wing formation was a precursor to the modern spread or shotgun formation. The term usually connotes formations in which the snap is tossed rather than handed—formations with one wingback and a han ...
run-oriented offense, tallying 23 receptions for 334 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also making 57 tackles (11 for loss), 8 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 blocked field goals.
He was a two-time USA Today All-State, ESPN Boston All-State, Suite Sports Central Massachusetts All-Star, Central Massachusetts All-Star and Max Prep All-State selection.
College career
McKeon accepted a football scholarship from the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
. As a true freshman, he appeared in 4 games as a backup
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
behind
Jake Butt
Jonathan Duane "Jake" Butt (born July 11, 1995) is a former American football tight end and current football analyst for the Big Ten Network. He played college football at Michigan. As a junior, he won the Ozzie Newsome Award. He was selected a ...
. He made 2 receptions for 10 yards.
As a sophomore, he appeared in all 13 games with 10 starts at tight end. He registered 31 receptions (led the team), 301 receiving yards (second on the team) and 3 receiving touchdowns (led the team). He had 5 receptions for 82 yards against
Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
.
As a junior, he appeared in all 13 games as a backup tight end behind
Zach Gentry
Zach Gentry (born September 10, 1996) is an American football tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan.
Early life
Gentry was a star quarterback for Eldorado High Schoo ...
. He was used mostly for blocking purposes and on the special teams units, posting 14 receptions for 122 yards and one touchdown.
As a senior, he appeared in 10 games with 7 starts, while sharing the
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
duties with Nick Eubanks. He missed 3 games with a leg injury he suffered against the
University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
. He was used mostly for blocking purposes and on the special teams units, collecting 13 receptions (sixth on the team) for 235 yards (sixth on the team) and 2 receiving touchdowns (fourth on the team).
Professional career
McKeon was signed as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
by the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
after the
2020 NFL Draft
The 2020 NFL Draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The d ...
on April 27. The team made the unconventional move of keeping him as the fourth tight end to avoid losing him to waivers. He became the third-string tight end, after the starter
Blake Jarwin
Blake Jarwin (born July 16, 1994) is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Oklahoma State and signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2017.
Early years
Jarwin attended Tuttle Hi ...
suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first game against the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
. He appeared in 14 games with one start and played mainly on
special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
. In Week 7, he started against the
Washington Football Team
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) E ...
when the team opened the game with a three tight end formation.
On September 2, 2021, McKeon was placed on injured reserve to start the season. He was activated on November 3, 2021.
On November 14, 2021 Sean registered his first NFL reception while playing against his former Shepherd Hill Regional High School teammate, Chris Lindstrom and the Atlanta Falcons.
On Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2021 Sean caught his first career receiving touchdown. A 10 yard pass from
Dak Prescott
Rayne Dakota Prescott (born July 29, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State, where he twice received first-team All- SEC honors, a ...
against the
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West divis ...
. In the span of 9 games (2 started), McKeon recorded 4 catches of 27 and a touchdown.
On August 30, 2022, McKeon was waived by the Cowboys and signed to the practice squad the next day.
He was promoted to the active roster on October 29.
References
External links
Michigan Wolverines bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKeon, Sean
1997 births
Living people
People from Dudley, Massachusetts
Sportspeople from Worcester County, Massachusetts
Players of American football from Massachusetts
American football tight ends
Michigan Wolverines football players
Dallas Cowboys players