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The story behind former Florida DB Keanu Neal’s name

Nick Cole

By Nick Cole

Published:

Being named Keanu isn’t easy thanks to Hollywood star Keanu Reeves.

Former Florida defensive back Keanu Neal was in Indianapolis to meet the media at the NFL Combine on Saturday, and he inevitably faced questions about the origin of his name from anxious reporters.

According to SEC Country, Neal isn’t exactly a fan of the star of “The Matrix”, with which he not only shares a first-name but is also the source of his nickname.

“I’m not,” Neal laughed when asked if he was a big Keanu Reeves fan. “A lot of people call me the Matrix, but I never knew why and when I watched the movie, I didn’t really like it.”

But as it turns out, Neal’s mother did name him after the famous actor.

The name, which has a Hawaiian origin, was not given to him because of any sort of island roots.

In fact, it was a matter of evening out the family’s names between starting with the letter “C” and the letter “K”, according to the report.

When Neal was born, it was time for a K, and his siblings weighed in on potential names.

“My brother is a huge fan of Keanu Reeves, so he was like ‘Keanu.’ (My mother) loved it and it stuck, “Neal said.

So there you have it. Keanu Neal is named after Keanu Reeves, but he’s not exactly happy about it.

Nick Cole

Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.

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