He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft.

Prior to Fork Union, Merling attended Calhoun County High School in Saint Matthews, SC, for three years.

Merling underwent a successful laparoscopic by athletic pubalgia surgeon Dr. William Myers to repair a sports hernia.

[1] Height: 6'4½" Weight: 271 lbs 40-yard time: 4.63, 4.73, 4.84 (pre-combine) 225-pound bench press: 17 reps Merling was selected 32nd overall in the 2008 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins.

In Week 17 of the 2008 season, he intercepted a Brett Favre pass and returned it for a touchdown, helping the Dolphins clinch the 2008 AFC East Division championship.

[3] He was released by the Green Bay Packers on November 6, 2012 [4] The Washington Redskins signed Merling to a reserve contract on January 8, 2013.

[5] On October 1, he was released, along with John Potter, in order to make room on the roster for the reinstatement of Rob Jackson and Jarvis Jenkins.

[6] [7] Key Merling was arrested in Broward County, Florida on May 26, 2010, and charged with aggravated battery against his then-fiancée Kristen Lennon, who was two months pregnant at the time.

[8][9] Merling was the second of two defensive linemen for the Miami Dolphins, Tony McDaniel being the first, to be arrested and charged with battery against a female during the 2010 offseason.