Leroy Keyes, who was among the greatest athletes in Virginia sports history, has died.

Mr. Keyes was 74 and died Thursday, April 15, in West Lafayette, Ind., surrounded by family.

A native of Newport News, Mr. Keyes starred in football, basketball and track and field at George Washington Carver High School in Newport News. On the football field, he scored 44 touchdowns for Carver, helping his school to the Virginia Interscholastic Association, or VIA, state title.

In basketball, he scored more than 2,000 points while helping Carver to two VIA state crowns.

Although he did not concentrate on track, he became the first athlete in state history to long jump more than 24 feet.

From Carver, Mr. Keyes went to Purdue University where he became a two-time consensus All-American as a versatile running back and pass receiver. In 1967, he was third in the Heisman Trophy voting. Then in 1968, he was Heisman runner-up behind O.J. Simpson.

The 6-foot-3, 218-pound star scored 37 touchdowns for the Purdue Boilermakers with 3,757 all-purpose yards as rusher, receiver and kick returner.

Mr. Keyes was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1969 as the third overall selection behind Simpson and George Kunz.

Mr. Keyes began his NFL career as a running back-receiver but was switched to defensive safety. He collected eight interceptions for the Eagles before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for his final pro season in 1972.

Following his NFL retirement, Mr. Keyes worked 16 years as a desegregation specialist for the Philadelphia school district before returning to Purdue to serve as an assistant coach and administrative assistant.

Mr. Keyes was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and the VIA Hall of Fame. He also was an inaugural member of the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.

In a vote of fans, Mr. Keyes was selected to the “Mount Rushmore” of Purdue football, along with Drew Brees, Bob Griese and Rod Woodson.

Survivors include his wife, Monica, and four children, Raymond, Jacqueline, Courtland and Colin. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.