Keena Turner, former Boilermaker linebacker and retired San Francisco 49er, believes that the true value of Purdue University lies within its people. You can look forward and back and the experience of Purdue is due to the energy and influence of its community. Purdue offers a unique culture because of the location and the amazing opportunity it provides. Keena believes that was a deciding factor in his decision to come to Purdue. The proximity to Chicago, Illinois and also the comfort he felt when on campus really influenced his decision. It also helped that his former high school teammate, Willy Harris, was at Purdue. Although he was also recruited by Kentucky, Iowa and Iowa State, he had the best visit and felt most comfortable at Purdue and also liked the black and gold!

Keena acknowledges Purdue for many of the great experiences and opportunities that have come his way in life. The intense bond between his teammates and coaches and the relationships that were forged during his time at Purdue remain today. In fact, many of those relationships paved the way for his future successes both on and off the field. Keena credits Coach Jim Young for holding him accountable for his actions and teaching him discipline and the responsibility that we all have-as a person, an athlete and student. One point that Keena continues to make when he talks to young people is the absolute importance of education and balancing the experience with the learning and growth of oneself. "Academically, I was challenged and maybe spent too much time worrying about being 'on the field' as opposed to 'off the field'. If I were to say I have regret, it would be that I was not as focused on academia as I should have been.  I try to send the message to young people today that you can have these dreams of sports success and also dreams outside of that as well. You don’t have to know what you want to do, per se, but progressively pursue the possibilities and curiosities you may have. You need to find the balance of enjoying the experience and getting something out of the experience to prepare yourself for the future," states Keena.

Athletically, Keena’s greatest memories at Purdue included beating the #1 ranked Michigan Wolverines during his freshman year and winning both his junior and senior seasons at the Peach Bowl (defeated Georgia Tech) and the Bluebonnet Bowl (defeated Tennessee).  A true competitor, Keena looks back on his athletic accomplishments and notices the "ones that got away." One of those disappointments was never playing in the Rose bowl during his career at Purdue even though they certainly had the talent. Keena still ranks in the top 5 on Purdue record books for season and career tackles for loss. Keena was also a two-time All Big Ten, All American and Boilermaker’s MVP.

After a successful collegiate career, Keena was drafted in the second round of the 1980 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, where he spent his entire professional career before retiring from the field in 1990 after 11 seasons. During his time with the 49ers, he was a Pro Bowl selection and helped the team win four Super Bowls. When he talks about the opportunity and success that he had as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, he will be the first to tell you that they should have won six Super Bowls! His fondest memory during his professional career was the 1984 season because so many things went well- the team went 18-1, he was captain that year and won the Len Eshmont Award (the highest honor you can receive as a 49er given to a player for his courageous and inspirational play) and his oldest daughter was born. The most challenging time in his playing career, according to Keena, would be when he tore his ACL during 1987-88, the team was still having success but there was a mental toughness that he had to develop when he returned from that injury. He played for three years after his ACL injury but he was not the same. He had to find new ways to be productive without the same abilities and work through the difficult times. When Keena retired in 1990, he worked for the 49ers in Player and Community Relations. In 1992, he joined his former coach and mentor, Bill Walsh, at Stanford University, where he served as an assistant coach until 1995. Keena credits Bill as being the most influential person in his life, next to mom and dad.

Upon leaving Stanford, Keena launched his radio and television career, working with Debartolo Entertainment for a few years before returning to the 49ers as the Director of Player Development. Keena branched out into the automobile business world with former teammate Ronnie Lott when they opened Tracy Toyota in Tracy, California. After successfully running the day-to-day operations and playing a part-time role with the 49ers as Director of Alumni, he went back to the San Francisco 49ers front office in full-time capacity as the VP of Football Affairs, the role he currently holds. This opportunity allows for him to work closely with the head coach as well as the FB operations side. He oversees the player development area and reports directly to the COO Andy Dolich. Keena believes that this is a unique opportunity to coexist on both sides and credits his experience to being on both the operations and business side with his level of comfort in his role. "Everything in life is really great, I have had such amazing opportunities to broaden my perception and appreciation for people, and these opportunities were helped by the experience and relationships that I began at Purdue University," states Keena. "I have found throughout my career that the same abilities that we use in sport, we use in business. This has prepared me for the unique challenges of my current position."

Keena and his wife, Linda, have three children and reside in Tracy, California.