Monty Key, as he was known when he attended N.C. A&T does not believe in downtime. The desire to stay hands-on in multiple projects while not resting until the job is done has led him to be a successful businessman.
He came to NCA&T to study architectural engineering, a five-year degree program. He spent his first year of school getting acclimated to college life. He decided to try out for both the football and men's basketball teams during his second year. He added track during his final two years.
Key quickly made his presence known both on the field and on the court. He became a valued member of both teams and established himself as one of the best punters in the nation and the best punter in school history. Key was a Division I-AA All-American punter and all-conference punter at N.C. A&T. He holds the Aggies single-season record average yards per punt (44.3) in 1996. That same season, he was second in the nation in average yards per punt.
At 6-foot-7, Key's height did not go unnoticed by the Aggies men's basketball program. Key played for the late Jeff Capel, Jr., starting in 1993. Key says there were games where played significant minutes and there were other games he didn't. He just wanted to play his role and do it well. Key was able to play in the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons, 1994 and '95. 995. His competitive nature drove him to join the track and field team next. He threw the shot put, discus and javelin under the direction of legendary Hall of Fame coach Roy “Spaceman” Thompson.
Key was named the student of the year from the N.C. A&T Student Government Association (1996), Student-Athlete of the Year (1996), Male Athlete of the Year (1996), SBN Sports Network Black College All-American (1996) and Senior Athlete of the Year (1997). Key owns one of the most successful Construction companies in Guilford County.
