Former ASU QB Sam Keller (Merged)

[methomps]

Most bizarre football story I've read in a long time.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=72130

August 20, 2006
Keller leaves Sun Devil program
By Dan Zeiger
Tribune

On Friday, ASU coach Sam Keller had named Sam Keller the Sun Devils' starting quarterback. TRIBUNE




Arizona State's high-profile quarterback competition, believed to have ended on Friday night, took an unexpected, bizarre twist on Sunday, with the winner of the duel quitting the team. Senior Sam Keller, who was named the starter over Rudy Carpenter, has left the Sun Devil program, sources close to the situation have said.

A school spokesman told the Tribune that ASU coach Dirk Koetter would have a "significant announcement regarding a player" after the team's practice on Sunday night.

According to a source, several players requested a Saturday meeting with Koetter in which Keller was not present. They expressed to Koetter their feelings that Carpenter should be the starting quarterback.

Last year, Keller threw for 2,165 yards and 20 touchdowns before succumbing to a right (passing) thumb injury. Carpenter took over and finished as the nation's pass-efficiency leader.

"I'm excited, happy and also humbled by it," Keller said on Friday. "It's a dream to play your last year and go for (a championship). The other guy deserved it as much as I did. It makes me feel good, and I'm enjoying it a lot more because I earned it."

In the 18 camp practices before Friday, neither Keller nor Carpenter had established clear superiority over the other. But Keller's seniority and the strong allegiance Koetter has for veteran players was a major factor in the decision.

"We went for the guy who is best for our situation now, and we couldn't make a bad decision," Koetter said. "I really hoped one guy would clearly outplay the other, and we had to do what we had to do. . . . The fact that Sam is a senior and hasn't redshirted, that was sacrificing something for the program. If it was flipped over, with Rudy a senior and Sam a sophomore, it might have gone the other way."

Carpenter threw for 2,273 yards and 17 TDs last year. The Sun Devils were 4-1 in games he started.

[Buckeye86]

That's not a very well written story. What exactly happened? Several players had a meeting to say they didn't want Keller to start and he got [censored]ed and quit?

[methomps]

Originally Posted by Buckeye86

That's not a very well written story. What exactly happened? Several players had a meeting to say they didn't want Keller to start and he got [censored]ed and quit?

That's my interpretation.

[BrutusBobcat]

There's a more detailed story on ESPiN, and probably on a few other sports sites as well.

The essential details are the same. Keller won the spot, some of his teammates didn't think he should have it, Carpenter was rumored to want to transfer, then Keller quit. At least that's what I got out of it.

[rocketman]

ESPN with some more news on the story:

EDIT: Eh...on second thought it doesn't say much either...I'll keep it for the underarmor ad with Hawk on it though...

Reports: QB Keller leaves ASU despite winning job

ESPN.com news services




Arizona State appears to have changed quarterbacks again, and the move has little to do with touchdowns, completions or interceptions.
A source close to the situation has told ESPN's Joe Schad that Sam Keller, who was named the Sun Devils' starting quarterback on Friday, was not at practice on Sunday night and has left the team.
ASU coach Dirk Kotter said the program would have a major announcement after Sunday night's practice.
The East Valley Tribune had reported on Sunday that several players asked for a meeting with Koetter in which they said that Rudy Carpenter should have been named the starter. Koetter had admitted on Friday that the battle was a close one.
"This was such a close competition, I asked both the guys one night at Camp [Tontozona], if you guys want to do it, let's play two quarterbacks. I've done that before and I can do it again if you want to do it," he said. "They didn't want to do it, so I had to make a decision on one guy."
Unconfirmed reports indicated that the announcement that Keller would start prompted Carpenter, a sophomore, to consider leaving the program.
Keller started for injured Andrew Walter in the 2004 Sun Bowl when he threw for 370 yards and three touchdowns and was named MVP in a 27-23 victory over Purdue. He looked just as spectacular early last season, throwing four touchdowns in each of his first four starts and for more than 300 yards in four of his first six games.
But the Sun Devils lost four of their first seven games, and Keller threw five interceptions in a 38-28 loss to USC. Keller was then hurt during a 45-35 loss to Stanford.
Carpenter sparked the Sun Devils to a 4-1 record in their last five games. He threw for 2,273 yards and 17 touchdowns and led the country in pass efficiency (175.01). He was named MVP in a 45-40 victory over Rutgers in the Insight Bowl after throwing for 467 yards and four touchdowns.
Keller still has a redshirt season and also could play immediately at a Division I-AA school.
Without Keller, freshman Danny Sullivan probably will be forced to play as Carpenter's backup. Brett Boon and Dax Crum are the other quarterback options.
But the ASU source also told ESPN's Schad that Koetter is hoping Keller will change his mind and attend ASU's first day of classes on Monday.
ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach and the Arizona Republic contributed to this report.



Also See

Keller passes up Carpenter to win ASU starting QB job
Arizona State coach Dirk ...

[BB73]

Well, Arizona State's QB situation behind Keller was a little better than Oklahoma's behind Bomar.

Seems like a bad sign that Koetter was that out-of-touch with the way the players thought about things, though.

[OhioState49]

what does this mean: On Friday, ASU coach Sam Keller had named Sam Keller the Sun Devils' starting quarterback

So both the QB and Coach is named Sam Keller?