Early Years
He played high school football at Jefferson High School in Lafayette, Indiana. While at Jefferson, Dustin was a three sport standout in football, basketball, and track. During his senior year at Lafayette Jefferson High School he was the state's leading wide receiver in football with 114 Receptions in 2002, was second team All-State as a small forward in basketball, and he was the high jump state champion in Indiana, clearing 6'9" in a steady rain after coming second to Philadelphia 76er's Rodney Carney with a jump of 6'10". Keller was named one of top 50 receivers in nation by Street & Smith's and first team all-state as senior after setting state records with 113 receptions and 1,804 yards (16.0 average) with 22 touchdowns. He was a finalist for Mr. Football.
Keller was expected to sign with the University of Toledo and had actually verbally committed. Purdue's then-head coach Joe Tiller went to Keller's high school to attain Keller's cell phone number. Tiller called Keller shortly after and scheduled a meeting in Tiller's office. Tiller offered Purdue's last scholarship. Being Dustin's hometown school, Keller chose Purdue over Toledo.
During his freshman year at Purdue, Keller red-shirted and switched from wide receiver to tight end. After a year of watching, learning, and getting stronger, Dustin began to display his strength and athleticism. After two touchdowns in his redshirt freshman year, including a game-winning touchdown against powerhouse Ohio State, Keller earned the full-time starting job in his redshirt sophomore year. Keller's production increased each season. So much so, that his senior season at Purdue he was voted Most Valuable Offensive Player in the Motor City Bowl. In addition, his teammates voted him Purdue's Most Valuable Player that same season.
Read more about this topic: Dustin Keller
Famous quotes containing the words early years, early and/or years:
“Parents ... are sometimes a bit of a disappointment to their children. They don’t fulfil the promise of their early years.”
—Anthony Powell (b. 1905)
“Franklin said once in one of his inspired flights of malignity—
Early to bed and early to rise
Make a man healthy and wealth and wise.
As if it were any object to a boy to be healthy and wealthy and wise on such terms.”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)
“The measure discriminates definitely against products which make up what has been universally considered a program of safe farming. The bill upholds as ideals of American farming the men who grow cotton, corn, rice, swine, tobacco, or wheat and nothing else. These are to be given special favors at the expense of the farmer who has toiled for years to build up a constructive farming enterprise to include a variety of crops and livestock.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)