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Sam Keller
Sam Keller
Sam Keller
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Samuel Michael Keller (born September 28, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was signed by the Los Angeles Avengers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils and Nebraska Cornhuskers. Although Keller's football career never took off on any significant professional level, he is still remembered by many college football fans for being the player with a lawsuit against EA Sports and the NCAA that ultimately resulted in the cancellation of the widely popular NCAA Football video game series after 17 consecutive years of successful release.

Key Information

Keller was also a member of the Oakland Raiders.

Early life

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Keller attended San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, California, and was a student and a letterman in football and basketball. In football, Keller was a three-year starter, twice named his team's Offensive M.V.P., was a two-time first team All-East Bay League selection, and was a two-time second team All-Contra Costa Times selection. He finished his senior season with 3,282 passing yards and 38 touchdowns. After his senior football season, Keller was invited to the California/Florida High School All-Star Football Game. In basketball, he was a four-year starter. Sam Keller graduated from San Ramon Valley High School in 2003.

College career

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Arizona State

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Keller enrolled at Arizona State on a scholarship offer in 2003, as the ninth-ranked quarterback in the class. He played in six games as a true freshman, passing for 247 yards and a touchdown. His most extensive action was against UCLA, when he threw for 79 yards.

In 2004, as a sophomore, Keller played backup to senior Andrew Walter. He played in only six games, but threw for 606 yards and five touchdowns with only one interception. Keller earned his first career start in the Sun Bowl against Purdue, leading a fourth-quarter comeback victory with 370 yards and three touchdowns. He earned the Sun Bowl Most Valuable Player Award.

As a junior in 2005, Keller played well in his first four games of the season. He had 461 yards against LSU, followed up by 409 yards against Northwestern. He continued with 300-yard performances against USC and Oregon State. In his four games, he passed for 1,582 yards with a 145.78 quarterback efficiency rating. However, he suffered a season-ending hand injury shortly after the four-game stretch. He only started the next three games, but finished the season with 2,165 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Nebraska

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After Rudy Carpenter established himself as a capable starter in Keller's absence, in 2006, Keller transferred from Arizona State to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Due to NCAA transfer rules, he was forced to sit out his senior season, but redshirted to save his year of eligibility. He was named the team's scout team offensive player of the year.

In 2007, as a redshirt-senior, Keller finished the season with the Cornhuskers with 2,422 yards and 14 touchdowns in nine games. Keller also set a Nebraska career and single-season record by completing 63.1 percent of his passes, as well as passing yards per game in a single season and career (269.1). The team finished the season with a 5-7 record. Keller broke his collar bone in the ninth game against Texas and was replaced as the starter for the final three games of the season by Joe Ganz. He also briefly held the school record for passing yards in a single game (438 vs. Ball State), which Ganz later broke (510 vs. Kansas State). Keller's 2,422 yards was a career-high, along with his 10 interceptions. His 14 touchdowns was the lowest since his sophomore season, and his quarterback efficiency rating was a career-low 133.74.

Professional career

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National Football League

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Keller was tried out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers immediately following the 2008 NFL draft after going undrafted, however they did not sign him. Then, in May 2008, the Oakland Raiders were said to have given him a tryout. On June 25, the Raiders waived quarterback Erik Meyer and signed Keller. He was then waived on July 24. Sam is now a sales representative for a wine and spirits company in Scottsdale, AZ.

Lawsuit

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On May 6, 2009, Keller filed a lawsuit against EA Sports and the NCAA in an attempt to recover damages for the likenesses of college athletes being used in the NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball series.[1] On July 31, 2013, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in California, ruled Electronic Arts was not protected by the First Amendment free speech in portraying the likeness of a college football player. After that ruling, Keller's attorney stated that next step would be to take aim against the NCAA.[2]

Personal

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Sam Keller was the ninth-rated quarterback in the nation coming in from high school. In College, Keller majored in interdisciplinary studies (political science and history). Keller's father, Mike (sports management consultant), and stepmother, Kimberly, live in Las Vegas, NV. His father was an All-American at Michigan for Bo Schembechler and a third-round draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys. Sam Keller has three sisters named Gabby (20), Jessica (37), Crystal (21), and a brother named Robby (25). His mother Melissa Coveney and stepfather Robert Coveney live in Danville, CA. Keller married his wife Hilary on February 23, 2016 in Tempe, AZ.

References

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Sam Keller

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from Grokipedia
Sam Keller is a Swiss art executive and museum director known for his transformative leadership of Art Basel, where he served as director and cofounded the Miami Beach edition, as well as for his tenure as director of the Fondation Beyeler since 2008. Keller, who is self-taught in art and entered the field through a personal interest in architecture rather than formal education, was appointed director of Art Basel in 2000 by its co-founder Ernst Beyeler, whom he credits as a decisive mentor. Under his guidance, the fair expanded significantly with the launch of Art Basel Miami Beach in 2001, establishing it as a major international event and helping to position Art Basel as the world's leading contemporary art fair. He held the role until transitioning in 2008 to lead the Fondation Beyeler, the museum founded by Beyeler near Basel that houses a renowned collection of modern and contemporary art by artists including Monet, Picasso, van Gogh, and Louise Bourgeois. At the Fondation Beyeler, Keller has organized major exhibitions featuring artists such as Ólafur Elíasson, Francisco de Goya, and Paul Gauguin, while overseeing a significant expansion project designed by architect Peter Zumthor to increase exhibition space. His work has emphasized bold programming, institutional growth, and maintaining the museum's reputation as one of Switzerland's most visited and respected art institutions.

Early Life and Education

Early Life

Sam Keller, whose full name is Samuel Keller, was born on January 6, 1966, in Basel, Switzerland. He spent his early years in Basel, growing up in the city. Keller did not grow up in an artistically minded household and instead discovered his interest in art independently, engaging with it on his own terms.

Education

Sam Keller studied Art History, Philosophy, and History at the University of Basel from 1985 to 1990. Born and raised in Basel, he pursued these fields at the local university but did not complete a formal degree. In 2016, the University of Basel awarded him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his distinguished contributions to the promotion and presentation of contemporary art.

Career

Leadership at Art Basel

Sam Keller served as Director of Art Basel from 2000 to 2007, having been appointed to lead the fair during a period of significant evolution in the international art market. He oversaw the launch of Art Basel Miami Beach, which was originally planned for December 2001 but postponed following the September 11 attacks; the fair successfully debuted in 2002 after a year of cultural programming that helped build momentum and demonstrate the event's viability independent of market conditions. Keller identified the creation of Art Unlimited in 2000—a section dedicated to large-scale installations and ambitious projects—as well as new programs for performance, film, video, sound art, artist books, and public art as central to his tenure, shifting the fair's emphasis toward integrating strong cultural programming with its commercial role. He described these platforms as his greatest achievement, noting that they were crucial in establishing Art Basel as an event that balanced artistic ambition with market dynamics rather than functioning purely as a commercial venue. After stepping down from the directorship at the end of 2007, Keller continued to contribute to Art Basel as Chairman of the Advisory Board until 2020. He transitioned in 2008 to become Director of the Fondation Beyeler.

Directorship at Fondation Beyeler

Sam Keller has served as Director of the Fondation Beyeler since 2008. Under his leadership, the institution has continued to develop as Switzerland's most popular art museum, drawing a broad international audience with approximately half of its visitors coming from abroad. Keller has focused on evolving the museum from its origins as a private institution into an internationally recognized center for modern and contemporary art while preserving the vision of its founders, Ernst and Hildy Beyeler. His directorship has emphasized high-caliber exhibitions that highlight the complexity of artists' work beyond common perceptions, with a commitment to quality as the central priority. Notable examples include the Georgia O'Keeffe retrospective, co-organized with international partners to present her influential oeuvre more fully in Europe, where she remains less known. The ongoing Yayoi Kusama retrospective, the first in Switzerland devoted to the artist, offers a comprehensive survey of more than seven decades of her practice in close collaboration with Kusama and her studio. Keller has prioritized expanding representation of underrepresented artists, particularly women, through acquisitions and exhibition programming featuring figures such as Louise Bourgeois, Marlene Dumas, Roni Horn, Rachel Whiteread, and others. His approach also reflects an interest in presenting art from diverse regions, including Asia, alongside established US and European artists to broaden the museum's dialogue and appeal to new generations. This strategy aligns with his guiding principle of treating tradition as "the passing on of the fire" rather than mere preservation.

Other Professional Activities

Sam Keller has engaged in a range of advisory and governance roles across cultural institutions, corporate entities, and publications, extending his influence in the art world beyond his primary leadership positions. He serves as a member of the board or committee for the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Berggruen Museum in Berlin, the Swiss Institute in New York, and the Kandinsky Prize in Moscow. He also holds advisory positions with the pharmaceutical company Novartis and the financial services firm UBS. Keller is a member of the editorial board of Cahiers d’Art, collaborating with figures such as Staffan Ahrenberg and Hans Ulrich Obrist on this influential art publication. These involvements highlight his ongoing commitment to supporting museums, prizes, and editorial initiatives in contemporary art.

Media Appearances

Television Credits

Sam Keller has made limited but notable appearances as himself on Swiss television programs, reflecting his prominent role in the international art world through his leadership at Art Basel and as director of the Fondation Beyeler. He appeared in four episodes of the cultural TV series Kulturplatz between 2004 and 2019, credited as Self – Direktor Fondation Beyeler / Art Basel. In 2017, Keller featured in one episode of the entertainment magazine show Glanz & Gloria, credited as Self – Museums-Direktor, where he was interviewed in his capacity as museum director at the Fondation Beyeler. All of his television credits are non-acting roles, consisting of expert interviews and guest appearances tied to his professional expertise in art institutions.

Awards and Recognition

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