25 Facts About Brett Keisel

Brett Keisel was born on September 19,1978 and is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for 13 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League.

Brett Keisel was selected by the Steelers in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL draft.

Brett Keisel played defensive end his sophomore year and then the following year transferred to Snow College.

Brett Keisel then returned to BYU to finish his college football career.

Brett Keisel returned in the 2004 season with 13 appearances and nine tackles.

Brett Keisel followed up the 2007 season by making 22 tackles, and a sack.

Brett Keisel recovered a game sealing fumble by Kurt Warner during the final seconds of the game.

In 2010, Brett Keisel had his first career interception and first career touchdown in week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when he intercepted a pass thrown by Josh Freeman and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown.

Brett Keisel was added to the AFC Pro Bowl roster for the first time in his career.

In 2014, following the expiration of his 2009 contract, Brett Keisel entered free agency.

In 2014, Brett Keisel finished the season appearing in 12 games and recording eight solo tackles, nine assists, a single sack and an interception.

Brett Keisel lettered four times in football and basketball and twice in track at Greybull High School in Greybull, Wyoming.

Brett Keisel was a four-time All-Conference selection and earned All-State honors as a tight end and linebacker, was the USA Today Wyoming Player of the Year in his final season, and earned Sportslink Player of the Year and Conference Player of the Year honors in 1996.

Brett Keisel excelled at both football and basketball and initially wanted to go to college for basketball.

Brett Keisel researched the statistics of players that were in the NBA at the time and found that his size wouldn't compare to those playing basketball at the professional level.

Brett Keisel then turned his attention and athletic ability to football.

Brett Keisel has three sisters: Peggy, Kalli, and Codi; and four brothers: Tom, Lance, Chris, and Chad.

Brett Keisel is married to his high school sweetheart, Sarah.

In 2018, Brett Keisel was a pallbearer at the funeral of brothers Cecil and David Rosenthal, who were killed in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

Brett Keisel began growing "Da Beard" while on a summertime hunting trip with his father.

Brett Keisel's beard has its own Facebook page and Twitter account and was mentioned repeatedly in the media during the Steelers' playoff run.

On July 27,2022, as a guest on Steelers' Defensive Linemen Cam Hewyard's "Not Just Football" Podcast, Brett Keisel said that he started growing it partly due to superstition.

Brett Keisel followed up saying that the Pittsburgh Penguins had just recently won the Stanley Cup, and that he saw the playoff beards the players grew, and was a fan of them, and wanted to try it out.

Brett Keisel refers to his beard as a "beautiful thing" and "the greatest beard of all time" and has, encouraged other Steelers to grow beards as well.

Brett Keisel stated that "Da Beard" would most likely return for the upcoming season.