Keith Stokes

{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1978)}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

|name =Keith Stokes

|image =KeithStokes_Temliers2009.jpg

|image_size =

|caption =Stokes with the Elancourt Templiers in 2009

|current_team =

|number =3, 12, 33

|position =Wide receiver

|birth_date ={{birth date and age|1978|12|10}}

|birth_place =Toms River, New Jersey, U.S.

|height_ft = 5

|height_in = 7

|weight_lbs = 184

|high_school =

|college =East Carolina

|undraftedyear =2001

|teams =

San Francisco 49ers ({{NFL Year|2001}})*
Montreal Alouettes ({{CFL Year|2002}})
Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|2003}})*
Montreal Alouettes ({{CFL Year|2003}})
Winnipeg Blue Bombers ({{CFL Year|2004}}–{{CFL Year|2005}})
Toronto Argonauts ({{CFL Year|2006}})
Winnipeg Blue Bombers ({{CFL Year|2007}})
Manchester Wolves ({{af2 Year|2008}})
Edmonton Eskimos ({{CFL Year|2008}})
Toronto Argonauts ({{CFL Year|2008}})*
Elancourt Templiers (2009)
Harrisburg Stampede (2010)
Philadelphia Soul ({{AFL Year|2011}})
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks ({{IFL Year|2012}})*
Reading Express ({{IFL Year|2012}})
York Capitals (2013–2015)
Pennsylvania Steam (2014)*
Central Penn Capitals (2016)*

|status =

|highlights =

Grey Cup champion (2002)
Frank M. Gibson Trophy (2002)
John Agro Special Teams Award (2004)
CFL All Star ({{CFL Year|2002}}, {{CFL Year|2004}})
AIF champion (2015)

|cflstatlabel1=Receptions

|cflstatvalue1=178

|cflstatlabel2=Receiving yards

|cflstatvalue2=2,517

|cflstatlabel3=Receiving TDs

|cflstatvalue3=10

|cflstatlabel4=Punt Return yards-TDs

|cflstatvalue4=3,734-9

|cflstatlabel5=Kick Return yards-TDs

|cflstatvalue5=4,132-1

|aflstatlabel1=Receptions

|aflstatvalue1=78

|aflstatlabel2=Receiving yards

|aflstatvalue2=940

|aflstatlabel3=Receiving TDs

|aflstatvalue3=8

|aflstatlabel4=Return yards

|aflstatvalue4=1,200

|aflstatlabel5=Return TDs

|aflstatvalue5=2

|afl =11546

|cfl-archive =https://web.archive.org/web/20150423072119/http://www.cfl.ca/roster/show/id/375

}}

Keith Stokes (born December 10, 1978) is an American former professional football wide receiver. Stokes was a two time Canadian Football League (CFL) all star. He also starred in the French League Championnat Élite Division 1 in 2009 for the Elancourt Templiers. He has been a football coach in recent years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bclions.com/2019/05/04/stokes-ready-to-run-with-lions/|title=Stokes Ready to Run with Lions|date=May 4, 2019}}

College career

Stokes attended Georgia Military College and as a sophomore, he was selected as an NJCAA All-American honoree and was named the Team MVP.

Stokes attended East Carolina University where he immediately made his mark as a talented kick returner and big-play offensive weapon. In the fourth game of his career for the Pirates, he caught the game-winning 27-yard touchdown pass to defeat the #13 ranked Miami Hurricanes by a score of 27–23. The Pirates were down 20–3 at halftime in the emotional comeback victory, which was moved to Raleigh from ECU's campus in Greenville, NC, due to the after-effects of Hurricane Floyd.

Stokes set East Carolina Pirates team records as a punt returner. Stokes gained the most punt return yards in a single game with 168 in a 62–20 victory against Houston on November 11, 2000. He also possesses the best career average yards per punt return at 15.5 yards per return on 53 returns. His 94-yard punt return against Cincinnati in 1999 is the second-longest in school history.{{Cite web |url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ecu/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/07-mg-records.pdf |title=East Carolina Pirates' Records |access-date=September 18, 2007 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002512/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ecu/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/07-mg-records.pdf |url-status=dead }} Stokes also returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown against Texas Tech in the 2000 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl.{{cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/recaps/2000/12/27/tto_eea/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010124060900/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/recaps/2000/12/27/tto_eea/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 24, 2001 | work=CNN | title=CNNSI.com - 2000 NCAA Football Bowls - NCAA Football Scoreboard: Recap: East Carolina at Texas Tech - Thursday December 28, 2000 12:19 AM}}

Although relatively short for the receiver position, as a senior, he was able to utilize his agility and quickness to routinely create separation from defenders to lead the team in receptions and receiving yards. In 2000, Stokes led Conference USA in all-purpose yardage with 1,427 yards.{{cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/2000/bowls/news/2000/12/21/cusa_insider_bowl/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010124102300/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/2000/bowls/news/2000/12/21/cusa_insider_bowl/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 24, 2001 | work=CNN | title=CNNSI.com - 2000 NCAA Football Bowls - Inside C-USA: Bearcats give season a kick - Thursday December 21, 2000 05:06 PM}}

Professional career

Stokes began his pro football career in the Canadian Football League. In 2002, Stokes joined the Montreal Alouettes and, in 2004, Stokes joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, won the John Agro Special Teams Award, and was named a 2004 CFL All-Star.

Stokes made the TSN CFL Play of The Year on his August 13, 2005, touchdown vs. the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. It was a 67-yard reception TD from Blue Bombers quarterback Kevin Glenn.

On September 29, 2008, Stokes was signed to return to the Toronto Argonauts[https://web.archive.org/web/20121103121440/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/story/2008/09/29/stokes-washburn-argonauts.html Ailing Argonauts add Stokes, Washburn] and was released in February 2009.{{cite news|url=https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=266678|title=Argonauts sign three on defence; release Stokes|date=February 11, 2009|publisher=TSN.ca|access-date=February 12, 2009}}

In March 2009, Stokes was signed to the Elancourt Templiers, French team in the Ligue Élite de Football Américain. For his first drive in EFL he scored a touchdown. The Templiers finished the French league season with a 7-3 record and lost in the playoffs semi final to the Thonon Black Panthers.

In 2011, Stokes signed and played for the Philadelphia Soul of the Indoor Football League.{{Cite web|title=Press Releases: Philadelphia signs former CFL standout, Stokes (Philadelphia Soul press release) {{!}} ArenaFan.com|url=http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=9824|access-date=2021-11-26|website=www.arenafan.com}} For the 2012 IFL season he signed to play with the Reading Express.