MARIPOSA S RICH KELLER (SECOND FROM RIGHT) WAS ON HAND AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY’S LEGENDS REUNION WEEKEND. HE WAS HONORED ALONG WITH HIS TEAMMATES, INCLUDING COLLEGE HALL OF FAMER AND NFL STAR JIM PLUNKETT (FIFTH FROM RIGHT) FROM THE 1969 FOOTBALL TEAM. Most students and graduates of Mariposa County High School know Rich Keller as the tough, demanding English teacher who pushed them to excel. Many say college English and other classes were a piece of cake after Keller taught them read, write and research.

Keller, who retired at the end of last year, spent Nov. 6 gathering with a different group of people who remember him for something very different. As he is often referred to, Coach Keller, was with his teammates of the 1969 Stanford University football team as they took part in the school’s annual Legend’s Reunion weekend. Keller and the rest of the storied team were honored at halftime of the game against Oregon. The Cardinal (in 1969 Stanford was known as the Indians) pulled a terrific upset, knocking off the seventh ranked Ducks, adding to the satisfaction of the day.

Keller was a pivotal piece of a Stanford team that contained more than a few future NFL standouts. From his cornerback position in the Cardinal defensive secondary, Keller was named to the All-Pac 8 team and was an Associated Press All-America honorable mention. He was also named to the United Press Internatioal (UPI) All-West Coast team.

Keller said is most memorable game came in the Los Angeles Coliseum against USC. “A field goal by Ron Ayala beat us with no time on the clock, and at that time it was the Pac-8, and if you didn’t win the conference, you didn’t go to a bowl game,” Keller remembered. “It was a great team,” Keller said. “We had a lot of guys that went on to the pros, and it getting back together with 15 or so of them was memorable.”

It’s no wonder the USC game stands out in Keller’s memory. He had nine tackes in the game, plus an interception and was named the Stanford Defensive Player of the Game for his efforts.

Just a few of the remarkable players that were Keller’s teammates include quarterback Jim Plunkett and wide receiver Randy Vataha, both drafted by the New England Patriots. Tight end Bob Moore played for eight years in the NFL, primarily with the Raiders. On Keller’s defensive side of the ball were first team All-America linebacker Don Parrish, who also won the Pop Warner Award, and defensive end Jeff Siemon, who was a four-time Pro Bowl selection when he played for the Minnesota Vikings. Defensive lineman Pete Lazetich played for the San Diego Chargers.

Nine members of the 1969 squad have been inducted into the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Cardinal coach that year, John Ralston, along with Plunkett, have both been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The 1969 Stanford team was “led by a high-powered offense and one of the top defenses” on the west coast according to a Stanford press relase. The team finished the season ranked 19th in the country with a 7-2-1 record. Just three plays stood in the way of a perfect season.

Perhaps the pinnacle of that campaign was the Indians’ win in the “Big Game” against Cal. They pulled off a 29-28 win over the Bears, but had lost by two points to USC and one point to Purdue. The Indians tied UCLA that same season, 20-20, when a last-second Stanford field goal was blocked.

Keller was at one time the MCHS Grizzlies’ head football coach, and was on the sidelines for a number of seasons as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator. Both players and current coaches admit, “His presence is missed.”