Carl Eller - Life After Football

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.

From 1997 to 2001 Eller collaborated with Craig M. Rosenblum on Carl Eller's Viking News, on the frontier of online sports journalism by and for fans in Minnesota.

On February 27, 2006, he was arrested for DUI.

On April 10, 2008, he was arrested for fourth-degree assault on police officers, fleeing police in a motor vehicle, refusing to take an alcohol test and driving while intoxicated. He was sentenced to 60 days in the county workhouse beginning on February 23, 2009, to be followed by 60 days of electronic home monitoring and a $3,000 fine.

Eller has previously acknowledged personal problems with substance abuse, and he has spoken openly and publicly to groups about the problems of chemical dependency.

Eller is the President of the Retired Players Association (RPA), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing powerful national advocacy and collegial support for retired professional football players, their families and the community at large.

Eller continues to be active in retirement working on charitable fundraising events with the Minnesota Vikings and the Pro Football Hall of Fame and other causes. He remains an active member of his North Minneapolis community.