Versatile Keller picks football, Findlay

CASTALIA — Judah Keller loves hitting, and he'll get the chance to do that as a college football player. Keller, a senior at Margaretta, plans to sign Wednesday morning to play for the University of Findlay. Keller could've pursued a college basketball career, but chose football. "They gave me a really good financial package and their coaching and facilities are unbelievable," Keller said. "I had a few other options. I want to be the best football player I can be and I think Findlay gives me the best chance because of their coaching and facilities." Findlay hired a new coach, Tyler Johns, in mid-December after longtime coach Kory Allen joined the staff at Toledo. Johns visited Keller at Margaretta High School and the two-sport star decided to stick with the Oilers. "I want a coach who will talk to me, like, 'Hey, how have you been?' " Keller said. "I feel like coach Johns gives me that. I think I made a great decision." Keller, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound safety who was a first-team All-Ohio selection last fall, will take his aggressive defensive mindset to the strong NCAA Division II program. He made his official visit to UF in mid-January after deciding in late December that football was his future. Keller figured he'd play college basketball until recently retired Margaretta football coach Gary Quisno planted a seed during his junior year. "Coach Quisno came to me and told me I could have a future in football," Keller said. "I didn't believe him, to be honest with you. I never got a call. But I love football; I love hitting people." Keller started getting looks after attending Junior Day events and began seeing a future in football. "Basketball's awesome. Me and my dad (Steve Keller Jr., Margaretta's boys basketball coach) were talking and I told him you only get 4-8 years strapping the pads on," Keller said. "I felt like if I ended my career here I would regret that, and I could be a better football player than I was. And obviously I wanted to keep tackling people. There is no better feeling than laying a big hit on someone." Last fall he did some serious hitting while helping the Polar Bears win a SBC River Division title. He finished the season with 138 tackles and four interceptions. On offense, he rushed for 1,063 yards and 15 touchdowns. Keller totaled 395 tackles in his high school career and was a first- or second-team All-SBC River selection all four years he played for the Bears. Last season, he was named Most Outstanding Player in the River. Keller also rushed for 2,077 career yards and 30 touchdowns. He didn't start playing football until the seventh grade, which made him want to play even more. "Every year (his dad) would tell me no, which made me want to play even more," Keller sad. "When I finally did get out there I was just out there running into people. I just craved the contact." That was obvious his freshman season when he put a big hit on Gibsonburg star running back Connor Smith, who graduated as one of the most prolific backs in state history. "I was so hyped up to play him," Keller said. "I came down from safety and hit him. There was a huge crack. Their football coach told my dad that it was the one hit he remembers all year that actually hurt him. I'm pretty proud of that — a freshman doing that to one of the best in the nation." Keller's daredevil approach has led to more than his fair share of injuries — in football and basketball. Here's the rundown from football: "I had a severe concussion my junior year. I had two broken hands in football, and you can play with a broken hand, it's no big deal. I played with a club and it didn't affect me at all. I tore the mid-belly in my bicep, which is crazy. That was versus Gibsonburg (last fall). I caught the ball in the flat, ran for a first down and got down to the 2-yard line. A kid tried to rip the ball out and it just tore. It takes two weeks to heal, so no big deal. "There's a few other ones for sure, but they're minor." And in basketball? "Three broken noses in the last two years. Two of them were in AAU and this year I broke my nose in a scrimmage. They were all flukes. My nose is pretty jacked up. They can't even tell if I fractured it anymore because I have so many fractures. I'll have to get a rhinoplasty when I'm 25. Right now I don't have to best air flow coming into my nose." Keller, who will study business at UF and someday wants to coach football or basketball, also has been an All-SBC performer in every one of his basketball seasons. He has scored 1,139 career points and is the program's all-time assists leader. The Polar Bears are 15-3 and one of the top Division V teams in the state. "We want more," Keller said. "We've won a district title the last two years. We want to win a regional title and go to the state final four and have a chance at winning state. We all have the eye on the prize." After the basketball season ends, Keller will turn his undivided attention to football. "The second I get on Findlay's campus — and I'll head down four days a week in the summer — I'll be putting on weight with their lifting program. Within three months I'll gain 10 pounds," he said. "It'll definitely be an eye-opening experience. I want to play, but I have to work for it. There's gonna be a lot of bigger people but I have a great work ethic. I'll keep trying to get on that field."