the expiration of his 2009 contract, Keisel entered free agency. While agent Eric Metz stated that Keisel "has every intention to continue to play football," no contract had yet been offered by the Steelers organization. On August 19, 2014, Keisel agreed to re-sign with the Steelers, signing a 2-year contract worth $3 million, including a $500,000 signing bonus. On March 9, 2015, Keisel was released by the Steelers. In June 2015, Keisel announced his retirement. Personal life Keisel lettered four times in football and basketball and twice in track at Greybull High School in Greybull, Wyoming. He was a four-time All-Conference selection and earned All-State honors as a tight end and linebacker (1995–96), 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. Keisel is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Keisel excelled at both football and basketball and initially wanted to go to college for basketball. He 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. He then turned his attention and athletic ability to football. He is the son of Connie and Lane Keisel. He has three sisters: Peggy, Kalli, and Codi; and four brothers: Tom, Lance, Chris, and Chad. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Sarah. The couple have three children. Since retirement from football, Brett and his wife Sarah have been involved with numerous charitable organizations, including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In 2018, Keisel was a pallbearer at the funeral of brothers Cecil and David Rosenthal, who were killed in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. Their sister, Michele Rosenthal, was the former head of public relations for the Pittsburgh Steelers. "Da Beard" Keisel began growing "Da Beard" while on a summertime hunting trip with his father. Keisel's facial hair gained fame during the end of the 2010 NFL season. Many NFL players grow "rally beards" during the playoffs to bring them good luck. His beard has its own Facebook page and Twitter account and was mentioned repeatedly in the media during the Steelers' playoff run. In an interview on Steelers.com, Keisel explained that he had decided to grow out his beard after having a discussion about the lack of characters in the