He was born in
Naperville, Illinois, to parents Kevin and Karie Kristick. His father played
free safety at
Northern Illinois in 1977 and 1978. His uncle, Dave Kristick, played linebacker for
Army during the 1970s. The Kristick's originally resided in the Chicago area before returning to their roots in the East Bay (Martinez, Clayton & Danville), and eventually Arizona. Keaton attended
St. Mary's High School in
Phoenix, Arizona. He served as the president of the St. Mary's
Young Republicans. Kristick played football there for three years as a
running back and
linebacker, and was the team's leading
rusher and
tackler each year. As a junior, he set an Arizona state record with a 99-yard touchdown run. As a senior, he scored 18 rushing
touchdowns and one receiving touchdown, which made him the leading scorer in the Desert Valley Conference. That season, he was named a first-team All-
Arizona Republic player, 5A All-State player, first-team all-region linebacker, and first-team all-region running back. He was also honored as the team's
most valuable player and the region's defensive player of the year.
Rivals.com named him the seventh-best prospect in the state of Arizona. He was evaluated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and a two-star prospect by
Scout.com. ==College career==