David Keith was born on May 8, 1954 in Knoxville , Tennessee . He is an American actor and director. He owns a cattle ranch in Tellico Plains , Tennessee .

David had an early supporting role in the prison film, Brubaker and later co-starred with Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman. Keith also played a local thug in The Great Santini, starred in The lords of Discipline and White of the Eye, and held a prominent supporting role in U-571 opposite Matthew McConaughey. He directed The Curse and The Further Adventures of Tennessee Buck (in which he also starred). He is currently costarring in The Class, an American sitcom, as Yonk Allen, a retired professional football player. Other roles include parts in Daredevil and television shows such as Navy NCIS, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Intent and High Incident.

David Keith is also a National Advisory Board member of PROTECT (www.protect.org) and lobbies on behalf of stronger penalties for crimes against children.