 Keim with theArizona Cardinals in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | (1972-09-08)September 8, 1972 (age 52) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Red Land | ||
| College: | NC State (1991–1995) | ||
| Position: | Offensive guard | ||
| Career history | |||
As a player: | |||
As a staff member / executive: | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
Steve Keim (born September 8, 1972) is anAmerican football executive and former player who spent over two decades as an executive with theArizona Cardinals of theNational Football League (NFL). He played college football as anoffensive guard atNC State and was briefly a member of the NFL'sMiami Dolphins andCFL in the mid-1990s.
After failing to catch on as a player, Keim became a regionalscout with the Cardinals in 1999. After being promoted several times, he was eventually named the team'sgeneral manager in 2013 and held that role until he stepped down in 2022 for health reasons.
Keim played forNC State, where he started 36 consecutive games at left guard. He was a two-time all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and was named the conference's offensive freshman of the year in 1991. During Keim's senior year, he was named captain and the N.C. State offensive line MVP. He subsequently earned a degree in Business Management.[1]
Keim signed with theMiami Dolphins (NFL) in 1996 andEdmonton Eskimos (CFL) in 1997.[citation needed]
Keim originally joined theArizona Cardinals in May 1999 as a college scout for the Eastern United States. He was promoted to director of college scouting in 2006 and later to director of player personnel in 2008. In May 2012, Keim was promoted to vice president of player personnel before being named general manager on January 8, 2013.[2]
For the 2013 season, Keim was selected as Pro Football Talk's NFL Executive of the Year.[3]
For the 2014 season, Keim was selected as NFL Executive of the Year by The Sporting News and a second year by Pro Football Talk.
On February 23, 2015, the Cardinals announced a new 4-year deal with Keim which would keep him with the Cardinals through the 2018 season.[4]
On February 12, 2018, the Cardinals announced that Keim signed a contract extension with them through the 2022 season.[5]
On March 2, 2022, the Cardinals announced that Keim signed a contract extension with them through the 2027 season.[6] On December 14, the Cardinals announced Keim would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team. On January 9, 2023, Keim stepped down as general manager to focus on his health.[7] Keim's total regular season record with the Cardinals was 80-80-2.
Keim resides inChandler, Arizona. Keim has a daughter, Sloane, and three sons: Carson, Brady and Warner.[8] Keim is a native ofHarrisburg, Pennsylvania and is ofGerman descent.
On July 4, 2018, Keim was cited fordriving under the influence after reportedly having a 0.19%blood-alcohol concentration.[9][10] Keim subsequently pleaded guilty, with the Cardinals fining him $200,000 and suspending him for five weeks.
Keim was inducted into thePennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.[citation needed]