Dustin Keller's Big on Mom and Ping-Pong

Randy's Radar

Dustin Keller's Big on Mom and Ping-Pong

Published: Fri, June 13, 2008 - 10:06am EDT
Randy Lange

By Randy Lange

Lange is editor-in-chief of newyorkjets.com. He covered the Jets for 13 years for The Record of Hackensack, N.J.


File Under: Dustin Keller, Purdue, Eugene Parker, Rod Woodson, Ping-Pong

06/13 — We're learning more about the Jets' draft choices as the days go on. And among the new things we've heard about first-round TE Dustin Keller is that he takes care of his mother.

In a story today on the Website of the Journal & Courier in West Lafayette, Ind., it's revealed that Keller and his four brothers surprised their mom, Maureen, as all left church on Mother's Day and walked up to a new silver BMW in the parking lot.

"I said, 'Mom, you'd look really nice in that,' " Dustin told his hometown newspaper this week from the Jets' training facility. "She said, 'Yeah.' So I pulled out the keys and handed them to her. She just looked at me, with no idea what was going on. I told her, 'It's yours.'

"And she started bawling and crying. And that lasted for like two hours."

Eugene Parker, Keller's Indianapolis-based agent (who, you'll recall, also represents Curtis Martin) helped make arrangements for the car to be delivered to the single mother of five from the Pittsburgh dealership of former Purdue and NFL star Rod Woodson.

Keller also had some observations about the minicamps and OTAs he's participated in, saying he's "very happy with what's happened so far" but adding that he still has room for improvement so he's working on that "and getting better every day." You can read the jconline.com story here.

Another thing we've heard about Keller, from this story and also from word around Weeb Ewbank Hall, is that he's a lights-out Ping-Pong player, so good that most of his Boilermakers teammates stopped playing him and already making headway against his Jets teammates.

We'll have more on that as the off-season and training camp proceed.

  4/5 : Rate this Post
20 ratings submitted

Fans Respond

Here's your chance to tell Randy what you think! Add a Comment | Show All (25)

kimosabe Said:

Sat, June 14, 2008 - 10:14pm EDT

"Last I heard..baker has 2 years left on a 4 year contract..plus an extra 1 Mil. forwarded from this years salary..."

Tom Spicer Said:

Sat, June 14, 2008 - 11:20pm EDT

"Kellen to Keller for the TD I love it !"

tarina Said:

Tue, July 8, 2008 - 12:07pm EDT

"Dustin Keller is a great young man. He's found success w/o letting it go to his head and has apparently kept his priorities in order. I already knew he had class by the way he treated my small child , and he proved he still has it by his gift to his mother (who is pretty great herself). I am thrilled to have him as a role model for my son."