Blair Kiel

Blair Armstrong Kiel (November 29, 1961 – April 8, 2012) was a four-year starting quarterback for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, from 1980 to 1983. He played professionally for several teams in the National Football League, the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League, and was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1998. Kiel worked as an advisor to corporate real estate clients in the Indianapolis area. Bartholmew County Coroner Allen Smith said Kiel died at Columbus Regional Hospital. Smith said an autopsy has been performed and that he's waiting on toxicology results and tissue samples to determine the cause of death. The autopsy confirmed that Kiel died of natural causes.

College
Kiel attended Columbus East High School in Indiana, where he was rated the #3 quarterback in the nation by Parade. Coach Dan Devine offered him a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame, where Kiel earned the starting quarterback job during his freshman year, four games into the 1980 season. The team achieved a 9-0-1 record and the #1 ranking before closing the season with losses at USC (20-3) and to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl (17-10).

Kiel went on to become the sixth all-time leading passer for Notre Dame, and holds the record for the team's longest pass play—a 96-yard bomb to Joe Howard against Georgia Tech in 1981. In his final game, he led the unranked Irish to victory over 13th-ranked Boston College in the Liberty Bowl.

Professional
Kiel was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1984 NFL Draft but only saw playing time in the regular season as a holder on kick attempts. He later played in seven games over two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts as both a quarterback and punter, and then spent three years with the Green Bay Packers. Following stints in the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League, he retired at the end of 1993.

Personal
Blair's son Brandon was a successful quarterback for Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana, earning a scholarship to Indiana University before leaving the football team. Blair has two brothers, Pat and Kevin, who also played football for Columbus East at the same time. Kip went on to Butler University to play football after sustaining an injury. Blair's nephews have gone on to have successful quarterbacking careers as well. Drew Kiel was quarterback for Illinois State while Dusty Kiel earned a scholarship to Indiana University and the youngest, Gunner Kiel, is the top-rated quarterback according to ESPN Scouts Inc. and has committed to the University of Notre Dame.

He resided in the Indianapolis area and was a private quarterback coach.

Kiel died on April 8, 2012.