:Keith Gary

{{Short description|American football player (born 1959)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{BLP sources|date=April 2009}}

{{Use American English|date=April 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

|name=Keith Gary

|number=75, 92

|position=Defensive end

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1959|9|14|mf=y}}

|birth_place=Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.

|height_ft=6

|height_in=3

|weight_lb=263

|high_school=Chantilly
(Fairfax County, Virginia)

|college=Ferrum
Oklahoma

|draftyear=1981

|draftround=1

|draftpick=17

|pastteams=

• Montreal Alouettes/Concordes ({{NFL Year|1981|1982}})
• Pittsburgh Steelers ({{NFL Year|1983|1988}})

|highlights =

• Second-team All-Big Eight (1980)

|statlabel1=Sacks

|statvalue1=25.0

|statlabel2=Fumble recoveries

|statvalue2=4

|pfr=GaryKe20

}}

Keith Jerrold Gary (born September 14, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). Gary was selected in the first round, 17th overall, by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the University of Oklahoma in the 1981 NFL draft,{{Cite web |title=Keith Gary Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GaryKe20.htm |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} but didn't sign and went to play two seasons with the Montreal Alouettes and Montreal Concordes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He then played six seasons with the Steelers. Before his time at the University of Oklahoma, Gary played college football at Ferrum College.{{Cite web |title=Keith Gary (2006) - Hall of Fame |url=https://ferrumpanthers.com/honors/hall-of-fame/keith-gary/71/kiosk |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=Ferrum College |language=en}}

He is perhaps best known for committing one of the most infamous facemask penalties in NFL history.{{Cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Kevin |date=October 3, 2023 |title=40 Years Ago Tonight October 10, 1983 #Steelers defensive end Keith Gary infamously and viciously rips #Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson to the ground by the facemask in the first quarter of a 24-14 Pittsburgh win at Riverfront on Monday Night Football. |url=https://x.com/KevG163/status/1711761916408811644 |access-date=August 7, 2024 |website=Twitter}}{{Cite web |date=16 September 2016 |title=Shift in the clash: Bengals ready to start new chapter in bitter rivalry with Steelers |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/09/16/pittsburgh-steelers-cincinnati-bengals-rivalry}} During a Week 6 game against the Cincinnati Bengals in 1983, Gary grabbed quarterback Ken Anderson, ripping at his facemask and knocking Anderson out of the game with a severe neck sprain early in the first quarter.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0keMai__VzE |title=1983-10-10 Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals |date=2021-09-27 |last=Classic Sports |access-date=2024-08-07 |via=YouTube}} Gary was penalized on the play, but not ejected, and later fined by the NFL for the facemask penalty that left Anderson, who would miss the Bengals next three games, without feeling below the neck.{{Cite web |title=Face-mask hit may cause rule change, Brown says |url=https://oklahoman.com/article/2042673/face-mask-hit-may-cause-rule-change-brown-says}} Anderson had completed all five of his passes for 60 yards before being knocked out of the game.{{Cite web |title=Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals - October 10th, 1983 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198310100cin.htm |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} Later in the same game he was penalized for a late hit on Bengals back up quarterback Turk Schonert.{{Cite web|url=https://oklahoman.com/article/2043883/pittsburghs-gary-fined-for-facemask-violation|title=Pittsburgh's Gary Fined For Facemask Violation}}

According to reporting in The Oklahoman, Cincinnati Bengals General Manager, Paul Brown, who until 1983 had worked in high school, college, and professional football for 53 years, described Gary's facemask penalty to be "as vicious a play as he had ever seen."