Kenneth Ray Keller (September 12, 1934 – December 10, 1997) was a professional American football running back who played in the National Football League for two seasons. He played college football at North Carolina.
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Personal information | |||||||||||
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Born: | (1934-09-12)September 12, 1934 Salina, Pennsylvania | ||||||||||
Died: | December 10, 1997(1997-12-10) (aged 63) | ||||||||||
Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||
Weight: | 180 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||
College: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
Position: | Running back | ||||||||||
NFL Draft: | 1956 / Round: 11 / Pick: 126 | ||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||||
Keller was born and grew up in Salina, Pennsylvania, and attended Bell Township High School, where he was part of a football team that won 28 straight games from 1948 to 1951.[1]
Keller was a member of the North Carolina Tar Heels football team for four seasons. In football he played running back, defensive back, placekicker and was a return specialist. Keller led the team in total offense in 1953 and 1955 and in scoring for three straight seasons.[2][3] He finished his collegiate career with over 2,000 all-purpose yards and over 100 total points scored.[4] Keller was also a starting outfielder for the baseball team.[5]
Keller was drafted in the 11th round of the 1956 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.[6] Keller served as the Eagles' starting running back as a rookie and led the team with 433 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. He tore ligaments in his knee in the second-to-last game of the season against the Washington Redskins.[7] Keller rushed for 195 yards on 43 carries in a reduced role in 1957.[6]
Philadelphia Eagles 1956 NFL draft selections | |
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