Before he became Diamond Sampson in Power Book IV: Force, Isaac Keys was chasing quarterbacks in the NFL.
The St. Louis native recently sat down with Michael Rainey Jr. and Gianni Paolo on The Crew Has It podcast, reflecting on a journey that took him from Morehouse College to professional football and eventually into the Power universe.
Along the way, he shared memories of competing against top-tier athletes, losing out on a major film role to Chadwick Boseman, and learning how to reinvent himself when the game stops calling.
Keys’ path to the NFL wasn’t traditional. He walked on at two colleges before landing at Morehouse College, where he earned a scholarship and built his résumé through relentless work.
He went undrafted but eventually signed with the Minnesota Vikings, later spending time with the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers. He also had a stint with the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL.
“I didn’t stop playing football,” Keys said. “Football stopped playing me.”
When his time in the NFL ended, the transition wasn’t immediate or easy. Acting wasn’t always the plan. Keys initially explored personal training and other options before taking classes in Los Angeles. He credits Tasha Smith’s acting studio for sharpening his craft and humbling him early on.
“You can give a great performance,” he recalled being told, “but your acting sucks.”
His first significant television breakthrough came with a recurring role on Get Shorty. But the moment he felt he truly belonged in the industry came later. “I was taking mental reps,” he said of working alongside seasoned actors. “I knew I could do this.”
That confidence carried into his audition for Power Book IV: Force. Already a fan of the franchise, Keys said he immediately connected with the character of Diamond. After a Zoom chemistry read with Joseph Sikora, he landed the role.
In the years since, Diamond became a fan favorite in the Power universe. Keys described filming his character’s final scenes as emotional, especially given the personal loss he was experiencing at the time. “Let’s make this a glorious death,” he said of the mindset he took into shooting Diamond’s exit.
Keys also spoke candidly about missing out on a role in Draft Day, which ultimately went to Chadwick Boseman. At the time, Boseman had just portrayed Jackie Robinson in 42. “If I’m going to lose out on a role,” Keys said, “I love that Chad got it. He was an amazing actor.”
Beyond acting, Keys recently authored a book titled The Grind Don’t Stop, It Just Changes, detailing the pivots from football to Hollywood and the setbacks in between.
