Nebraska football transfer wide receiver Dane Key is impressing his new team through the first couple weeks of camp.
In fact, he’s impressed his teammates so much that he was the leading vote-getter on the team during the single-digit jersey number vote. He will be repping No. 6 this season, the same number that he wore at Kentucky.
“It was something really special, just knowing that all my teammates welcomed me in,” Key said. “It’s a true brotherhood here, and they saw what I came in and did and just went straight to work, and I feel like everybody on the team just respects that. To know that my teammates have my back and they respect me so much, there’s no greater feeling.”
The senior receiver spent the first three years of his college career at Kentucky, where he was named a team captain in his final season with the program. He followed new Nebraska wide receivers coach Daikiel Shorts to Lincoln to spend his senior year as a Husker. During his junior campaign, he played in 12 games with 11 starts, catching 47 passes for 715 yards and two scores, leading the Wildcats in both receiving yards and receptions.
Rhule expects a lot from his players, and Key is no exception. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound wideout said that he’s enjoyed learning how to be the best football player he can possibly be from his head coach.
“I’ve never been demanded of so much effort from a coach before,” Key said. “I already had Coach Shorts, so he already demands so much, but when there are two people demanding the most out of you because they know what you can do and they know what you can be in the future, why would you want it any other way?”
Key’s leadership role is standing out to Rhule also throughout camp. He has a ton of confidence in his senior receiver.
“I think Dane did such a great job of coming in as a guy with production in the SEC and being such a hard worker, so humble, rallying that position,” Rhule said.
Shorts echoed the sentiment.
“He’s a good player,” Short said. “He’s been a three-year starter in the SEC, but who he is as a person has really helped our room. We have so many young guys in that room, and just the way he carries himself — he’s always in the building getting extra work, he’s always taking care of his body, he wants other guys in his room to succeed. So I think when younger guys see older guys that have production and that have had success and see how they work and that they work hard, it’s kind of easier for those guys to follow.”
Key has learned a lot of great football lessons from Rhule, but he’s also growing as a person in his day-to-day life.
“He’s taught me so much, not only football, he’s taught me so much just about being a better man,” Key said. “Coach Rhule, he’s very demanding, and those are the type of things I really wanted coming into this program. I knew he was going to be demanding, I knew he was going to expect your best every day, so I’ve learned so much of being a football player, but more of being a man from coach Rhule.”
Key is also building strong bonds with many of his teammates, especially with his star sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola. Currently, the two are living together at Raiola’s house, which helps build their rapport on and off the field.
“He’s my brother,” Key said. “At the end of the day, he wants what’s best for me, I want what’s best for him. If I’m not doing what I need to do, he’s the first one to check me. If he’s not doing what he needs to do, I’m the first one to check him.”
Raiola found out not to long before camp started that Key would be his roommate. He said that he received a text from Key one day that he was moving in and immediate set everything up for him.
“I love Dane,” Raiola said. “Dane will probably be in my wedding one day.”
Key will play his first game in Memorial Stadium in the team’s home opener, on Sept. 6 against Akron, and he couldn’t be more thrilled to showcase his talent in front of Husker fans.
“I’m just super excited,” Key said. “I could see videos, and this is definitely one of the best atmospheres that I’ve seen before. So I’m just super excited to play there.”
