Carl Eller

Last updated

Carl Eller
Carl Eller 2007.jpg
Eller in 2007
No. 81, 71
Position: Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1942-01-25) January 25, 1942 (age 82)
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:247 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High school: Atkins
(Winston-Salem, North Carolina)
College: Minnesota (1961–1963)
NFL draft: 1964  / Round: 1 / Pick: 6
AFL draft: 1964  / Round: 1 / Pick: 5
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Sacks:133.5
Safeties:2
Interceptions:1
Fumble recoveries:23
Defensive touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Carl Eller (born January 25, 1942) is an American former professional football player who played as a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

Contents

College career

As a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, Eller helped lead the Golden Gophers to a Rose Bowl victory. While Eller shared the starting position as a sophomore, he became a full-time, two-way player as a junior and senior and was voted All-America both years. During his time in college, the Gophers were National Champions as well as Big Ten champions. As a senior (1963), Eller was the runner-up for the Outland Trophy. Following each football season, the Carl Eller Award is given to the University of Minnesota's Defensive Player of the Year. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. [1]

At the University of Minnesota, Eller joined the Mu Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. [2] In 1994, he graduated from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in human services.

NFL career

In 1964, Eller was selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He was also selected in the first round of the American Football League Draft by the Buffalo Bills, who could not sign him. As the left defensive end in the Vikings front four, he was a major factor in the unit known as the "Purple People Eaters".

Starting in 1968, Eller's fifth campaign, Minnesota won 10 Central Division titles in the next 11 seasons. The Vikings won the NFL Championship in 1969, [3] losing to the AFL Champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV, and won the NFC Championships in 1973, 1974, and 1976. Eller was one of 11 Vikings to play in all four of their Super Bowls.

He was selected to play in six Pro Bowls (1968–1971, 1973, and 1974). After being traded with an eighth-round pick to Seattle Seahawks for defensive tackle Steve Niehaus, Eller played his final season in 1979 with the Seattle Seahawks, where he ran his career total to 225 games. In his career, "Moose" only missed three games and started 209 out of the 225 he played.

Eller is credited as the Vikings' all-time sack leader with 130½. [4] He also had 3 sacks with the Seahawks in 1979 for a career total of 133½. He set a career high with 15 sacks in 1969 and matched that total in 1977; he also amassed 7 seasons with 10 or more sacks. [5]

Eller was First-team All-NFL from 1968 to 1971, and again in 1973. He was also Second-team All-Pro in 1967 and 1972 and was All-NFC by AP and The Sporting News in 1975. Including his Pro Bowls, Eller had a nine-year consecutive streak of post-season honors which began in 1967 with his Second-team All-Pro selection and ended in 1975 with his All-NFC honors.

He was voted the winner of the George Halas Trophy in 1971 as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year as awarded by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). [6]

Life after football

As a licensed drug and alcohol counselor, Eller founded a group of substance-abuse clinics in the Twin Cities called Triumph Life Centers in 1986. He obtained a college degree in Human Services from Metropolitan State University in 1994 and went on to work for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, addressing issues of health disparities between white people and people of color. [7]

In 2000, Eller was named to the Vikings' 40th Anniversary Team and in 2010, he was named to the Vikings' 50th Anniversary team. In 2003, he was named to the Professional Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in the association's inaugural HOVG class. [8] In 2004, Eller was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [6] In 2006, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Eller was arrested in 2006 for driving under the influence and pleaded guilty. [9] Eller was arrested in 2008 for fourth-degree assault of a police officer and second-degree refusal to submit to chemical testing, both gross misdemeanors. [10] He was sentenced and served 60 days in the county workhouse. [11]

Eller later served as president of the NFL Retired Players Association. In 2020, he joined the Halberd Corporation, a research-based publicly traded company that helps discover and develop medical treatments for diseases, as a consultant. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Vikings</span> National Football League franchise in Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion team, the team began play the following year. They are named after the Vikings of medieval Scandinavia, reflecting the prominent Scandinavian American culture of Minnesota. The team plays its home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Downtown East section of Minneapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bud Grant</span> American gridiron football player and coach (1927–2023)

Harry Peter "Bud" Grant Jr. was an American professional gridiron football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). Grant was head coach of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings for 18 seasons; he was the team's second (1967–83) and fourth (1985) head coach, leading them to four Super Bowl appearances, 11 division titles, one league championship and three National Football Conference championships. Before coaching the Vikings, he was the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for 10 seasons, winning the Grey Cup four times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Page</span> American football player and judge (born 1945)

Alan Cedric Page is an American retired Minnesota state Supreme Court judge and former professional football player.

Anthony Ronald Yary is an American former football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Minnesota Vikings, and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001. Yary gave credit for his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction to his former coaches, John Ashton John McKay (college) and Bud Grant (professional). He also praised his position coaches Marv Goux, Dave Levy, John Michaels and Jerry Burns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple People Eaters</span> 1960s and 1970s NFL defensive line for the Minnesota Vikings

The Purple People Eaters was a nickname for the defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings from 1967 to 1977, consisting mainly of Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, Gary Larsen, and Doug Sutherland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julius Peppers</span> American football player (born 1980)

Julius Frazier Peppers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers second overall in the 2002 NFL draft, and also played for the Chicago Bears from 2010 through 2013 and the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2016. After rejoining the Panthers for the 2017 season, he retired after the 2018 NFL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Randle</span> American football player (born 1967)

John Anthony Randle is an American former football defensive tackle who played eleven seasons for the Minnesota Vikings and three seasons for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was a six-time first-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. Since becoming an official stat in 1982, his 137.5 sacks rank tenth, tied with Richard Dent, and first among defensive tackles. On February 6, 2010, he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played college football for the Trinity Valley Cardinals and the Texas A&I Javelinas, and was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent after the 1990 NFL draft. He is considered one of the greatest undrafted players of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La'Roi Glover</span> American football player and coach (born 1974)

La'Roi Damon Glover is an American former football defensive tackle who is the defensive line coach for the St. Louis BattleHawks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs. Glover enjoyed a 13-year career in which he made six-consecutive Pro Bowls and was a four-time All-Pro selection. He spent five seasons with the New Orleans Saints (1997-2001), four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys (2002–2005) and finished his playing career with the St. Louis Rams (2006–2008).

James Lawrence Marshall is an American former professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at Ohio State, before leaving to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 1960 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwight Freeney</span> American football player (born 1980)

Dwight Jason Freeney is an American former football player who played as a defensive end and linebacker for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Syracuse Orangemen, earning unanimous All-American honors. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft. With the Colts, Freeney won Super Bowl XLI over the Chicago Bears, and made seven Pro Bowls. He also played for the San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Gray</span> American football player and coach (born 1962)

Jerry Don Gray is an American football coach and former player who is the assistant head coach/defense for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). Gray played college football at the University of Texas at Austin, where he garnered All-American honors. Thereafter, he played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.

Willie Edward Lanier, is a former American football linebacker who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1967 through 1977. He won postseason honors for eight consecutive years, making the American Football League All-Star team in 1968 and 1969 before being selected to the Pro Bowl from 1970 through 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Williams (defensive tackle)</span> American football player (born 1980)

Kevin Williams is an American former football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings ninth overall in the 2003 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Hutchinson (American football)</span> American football player (born 1977)

Steven John Hutchinson is an American former football guard who played for twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, and was named a unanimous All-American. The Seattle Seahawks selected him in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft, and he also played for the Minnesota Vikings and the Tennessee Titans. A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Bobby Bryant is an American former football cornerback who played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Brooks (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1950)

Lawrence Lee Brooks Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). Brooks played college football for the Virginia State Trojans and was selected in the 14th round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Rams. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Johnson (defensive tackle, born 1984)</span> American gridiron football player (born 1984)

Tom Johnson, nicknamed Sebastian Thunderbucket, is a former American football defensive tackle. He attended Moss Point High School, where he played as a defensive tackle for two seasons. He played college football at Southern Miss but before that he played for two seasons of junior college football at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) in Perkinston, MS. Following his college career, Johnson went undrafted in the 2005 NFL Draft. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent. He spent the 2007 season with the Cologne Centurions of the NFL Europe and came back with the Colts for training camp in 2008. After being released, he turned to the Arena Football League (AFL), where he played the 2008 season with the Grand Rapids Rampage and the Philadelphia Soul. Johnson then headed north to play in the Canadian Football League (CFL), where he played two seasons for the Calgary Stampeders and was named CFL West Division All-Star in 2010. At the end of the 2010 CFL season, Johnson drew interest from several NFL teams, and decided to sign with the New Orleans Saints, where he played from 2011 to 2013. In 2014, he became a free agent and joined the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year deal, and after exceeding expectations in his first season, he was re-signed to a three-year deal in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kam Chancellor</span> American football player (born 1988)

Kameron Darnel Chancellor, nicknamed "Bam Bam Kam", is an American former professional football safety who spent his entire nine-year career with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies prior to being selected by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL draft. A four-time Pro Bowler, he was one of the key members of their Legion of Boom secondary. He also helped lead the Seahawks to victory in Super Bowl XLVIII. Chancellor retired following complications from a neck injury he suffered in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandler Jones</span> American football player (born 1990)

Chandler James Jones is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. He has also played for the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoine Winfield Jr.</span> American football player (born 1998)

Antoine Duane Winfield Jr. is an American football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Minnesota, and was drafted by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.

References

  1. ↑ Carl Eller at the College Football Hall of Fame
  2. ↑ "Greeks in Football". Archived from the original on October 16, 2007.
  3. ↑ "NFL Champions 1920-2015" . Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Vikings.com Ring of Honor". Archived from the original on February 5, 2009. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
  5. ↑ "Vikings.com". Archived from the original on November 1, 2005.
  6. 1 2 "Carl Eller | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site". www.profootballhof.com.
  7. ↑ Carl Eller Takes a Stand, University of Minnesota Alumni Association, July–August 2005
  8. ↑ "Hall of Very Good" . Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Hall of Famer Eller faces misdemeanor DUI charge". ESPN.com. February 27, 2006.
  10. ↑ "Ex-Viking Eller arrested after chase - USATODAY.com". usatoday30.usatoday.com.
  11. ↑ "Ex-Vikings great Eller sentenced to workhouse". ESPN.com. February 23, 2009.
  12. ↑ Retired NFL Great Carl Eller Joins Halbred Corporation. yahoo.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.