Editing Carl Eller (section)

== Early life ==
Eller was born on January 25, 1942, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |title=Carl Eller Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/E/ElleCa00.htm |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Eller's family was poor, and his father died when Eller was young. Early in his Professional Football Hall of Fame acceptance speech, Eller acknowledges how great his parents were in his life.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Carl Eller {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/carl-eller/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=pfhof |language=en}}</ref> 

He attended [[Atkins High School (North Carolina)|Atkins High School]], where he excelled in football, and was inspired and given direction by his high school football coaches.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> His team won the 1959 state football championship. One of his championship teammates was future [[National Basketball Association]] player [[Happy Hairston]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Overbea |first=Luix |date=May 15, 1966 |title=Carl Eller's Homecoming |work=Winston-Salem Journal |pages=12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Happy Hairston Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hairsha01.html |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He was also on the track team, in [[Discus throw|discus]] and [[shot put]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Overbea |first=Luix |date=May 3, 1959 |title=Atkins Places Nine In State Track Event |work=Winston-Salem Journal |pages=21}}</ref>

He got the nickname "Moose" while playing sandlot football around the same time.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Press |first=BOB SANSEVERE St Paul (Minn ) Pioneer |date=2004-08-08 |title=PROUD PURPLE PEOPLE EATER FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN WINSTON-SALEM, CARL ELLER'S FOOTBALL CAREER TAKES HIM TO THE HALL OF FAME AS A ... |url=https://greensboro.com/proud-purple-people-eater-from-humble-beginnings-in-winston-salem-carl-ellers-football-career-takes/article_e5be32c9-96ce-5a02-b712-ab6cb66a6348.html |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Greensboro News and Record |language=en}}</ref>