Carl Eller

About

Carl Lee 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.

Eller was born on January 25, 1942, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Eller’s family was poor, and his father died when Eller was young. Early in his Professional Football Hall of Fame acceptance speech, Eller acknowledges how great his parents were in his life.
He attended Atkins High School, where he excelled in football, and was inspired and given direction by his high school football coaches. His team won the 1959 state football championship. One of his championship teammates was future National Basketball Association player Happy Hairston. He was also on the track team, in discus and shot put.
He got the nickname “Moose” while playing sandlot football around the same time.

He was recruited to the University of Minnesota by head coach Murray Warmath, on the recommendation of Bobby Bell, a fellow North…