“Power Book IV: Force” star Isaac Keys joined the Fort Worth Police Department to discuss his new book, career transition and mental health awareness on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
Shambhavi Rimal
srimal@star-telegram.com
“Power Book IV: Force” star Isaac Keys visited the Fort Worth Police Department this week to discuss his new book, career transition and mental health awareness with a group including students and city officials.
The 47-year-old actor grew up playing multiple sports including baseball and football with the support of his father. “He made it important for us to have that platform to play sports … my father always told me you’re going to do twice as better than them and set a high standard for me,” Keys said.
Keys, who played for multiple NFL teams including the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings, said that sports teaches you “the game of life.”
Fort Worth police presented a poster to Isaac Keys as a gift during Tuesday’s event. Shambhavi Rimal srimal@star-telegram.com
“It teaches you how to work with the team, how to fall down and get back up,” he said.
Keys said after putting “so much” into the game of football he did not have the “eyesight” to foresee what else he was interested in and that is when acting came up.
Known for his role as Diamond Sampson on the STARZ crime drama show, Keys said, “The power of acting is that I’m able to substitute challenges or things that have happened in my own life into a character.”
Keys talks about mental health awareness
Playing a drug dealer on the show “does affect you, but it’s also an outlet,” Keys said. “Acting became my therapy, it probably saved my life coming out of football, because I was able to let go of inhibition, anger, bitterness that I had inside of me from football … and now I put into these characters.”
City Council members greeted Isaac Keys and presented him with a gift on behalf of Mayor Mattie Parker. Shambhavi Rimal srimal@star-telegram.com
“We all have trauma, but it’s manageable when you have the tools to deal with it. That’s what therapy gives you,” he said. “You’re going to go through things, but you’ll have a toolbox to pull from. That’s what you learn in therapy, and that’s what helps you get through it.”
The actor and former NFL player is releasing a book that shares his life story called, “The Grind Don’t Stop, It Just Changes,” which is available for pre-order on his website.
“People kept telling me, ‘You need to tell your story.’ I used to think, everybody’s got a story, so why is mine so significant? But it’s only because it’s mine and it’s unique — and it can still help somebody,” Keys said about what inspired him to write a book.
“I’m nervous about it, but I’m also excited about it, because I’ve never shared this much before publicly,” he said.
Building a positive collaboration
Officer Tracy Carter invited Keys to Fort Worth to show good policing in the city and build a positive collaboration with the police department, he said.
Carter said Keys would participate in a simulation to see what it’s like to be a police officer for the day. “He’s going to go out in the community with the officers. It’s a collaboration we hope to build on.”
“He is great and the role that he plays, people can resonate with it,” Carter said.
Katrina Hawkins, a Fort Worth resident who attended Tuesday’s program with Keys, said, “I think he was very personable and approachable — that’s kind of how I thought he would be. And so just to see him in person just really resonates with me.”
This story was originally published February 12, 2026 at 1:02 PM.
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Shambhavi covers crime, law enforcement and other breaking news in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. She graduated from the University of North Texas and previously covered a variety of general assignment topics in West Texas. She grew up in Nepal.