Born in Algona, Iowa,[2] Seiler played college football at the University of Notre Dame and was a member of the school's 1966 team that won the national championship.[3] After playing for a combined 59 minutes in 1964 and 1965 as a backup, he was Notre Dame's starting right tackle in 1966, his senior year.[4] In the 1967 NFL/AFL draft, the Jets selected him with the 12th overall pick. Seiler played in two games for the Jets in the 1967 AFL season,[2] but a leg injury led the Jets to put him on a "waived injured list".[5] In 1968, he joined the United States Army and did not play that season.[2][6] Seiler returned to the Jets in 1969, playing in 11 games.[2] After undergoing offseason leg surgery,[7] the Jets released Seiler before the start of the 1970 season.[8] From 1971 to 1973, Seiler played for the Raiders. He played in 26 games, starting once in 1973, his last NFL season.[2]
Seiler was married and had one stepson. After his football career, he lived in the West Coast region and eventually became a church minister in California. On September 25, 2001, Seiler died of colon cancer at the age of 55.[2][4]
References
^The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia Second Edition. New York City: Sterling Publishing. 2007. p. 621. ISBN978-1-4027-5250-6.
^ abDoyle, Joe (October 13, 2001). "Seiler steadily grew into a starter". South Bend Tribune. ProQuest417094344.
^"Jets Ready for Abner". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. December 8, 1967. p. 26. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
^"Seiler Enlists". Reading Eagle. United Press International. January 22, 1968. p. 20. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
^"Operate On Jets". The Norwalk Hour. United Press International. January 29, 1970. p. 21. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
^Di Pietro, Bob (September 16, 1970). "Other Veterans Given Releases". The Bonham Daily Favorite. United Press International. p. 6. Retrieved July 6, 2011.