Former Linebacker Keller Sentenced To 90 Days

Former Ohio linebacker Noah Keller was sentenced to 90 days in jail Friday for his part in an incident dating back to this past November. Friday, the Kearney Hub reported that Keller was jailed on charges of attempt to commit misdemeanor criminal mischief for his part in a night that caused nearly $100,000 in damages to a local ball field.

Keller, 24, who had previously pled no contest to the charges and was handcuffed before being immediately led to the Buffalo County Jail, in Kearney, Neb., after the sentencing.

Facing felonious attempt to commit criminal mischief charges, the Kearney native turned himself in in Dec. 2012. Nearly a month earlier, on the night of Nov. 1, 2012, Keller and two local friends vandalized Kearney’s Memorial Baseball Field by driving a truck onto the field and performing donuts, destroying the playing field in the process.

Keller and the two other men were intoxicated at the time. They attempted to break the gates open on the field by ramming their truck into them, but when that didn’t work they drove to Wal-Mart, bought bolt cutters and returned to the field, breaking in and committing the damage.

Keller had received counseling and taken steps to deal with alcohol issues according to the Kearney Hub. He also had taken out loans to pay off his share – $34,330 – of restitution to the court for the damages caused. His public defender sought probation, but citing that without a substance abuse policy which probation could address, it would be a waste of time and money.

Keller can be released after 53 days with good behavior.

During his time as a Bobcat from 2007 to 2011, Keller was a three-time captain and finished with 438 career tackles. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the NFL’s St. Louis Rams in April 2012, but was cut in August of the same year.