Breece Hall has quickly become one of the NFL’s standout running backs and fans are in awe over his 900+ rushing yards last season. His speed and skill on the field are undeniable, and it seems like he was a surefire first-round pick in the NFL Draft. However, Hall’s journey to the NFL wasn’t as straightforward as his impressive stats might suggest.
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Speaking on ‘The Pivot Podcast,’ Hall finally opened up about the behind-the-scenes story of those nail-biting draft days. Leading up to the draft, the RB knew he had the talent for a first-round pick. Still, as the night went on, none of the single running backs were picked early, which left Hall frustrated.
“Being drafted was still a blessing and everything, but I was definitely frustrated.”
Well it’s not hard to imagine sitting there, confident you’re going to hear your name any minute, and then watching round one slip by without a call. In fact, Hall had a lot of belief in his skills, and when the first round passed by without him being called, he could not keep his emotions in check.
“I was just like, ‘This really just happened,’ and just trying to hold back tears, just anger and everything.”
Thankfully, Hall’s agent, Nicole Lynn, was right there to calm the storm, reminding him that brighter days were ahead. Moreover, once round 2 came by, Hall was selected as the first running back in his draft class.
2022 witnessed a a rough draft season, not just for Hall but for all running backs as teams appeared to sideline the position. However, Hall turned that draft-day drama into determination since it wasn’t his first time.
Meanwhile, readers might be interested to know how Hall was once undervalued, although there was a specific reason behind it.
Hall Was Undervalued Before, But Not Without Reason
Breece Hall might be tearing it up in the NFL now, but his journey wasn’t always smooth sailing. In fact, there was a time back in high school when he found himself benched—not because of talent, but because of his work ethic and maturity.
In the same conversation, Hall even shared why he didn’t make the varsity cut at first and how those early lessons set the stage for his NFL success.
Hall’s high school coach wasn’t blind to his natural talent. In fact, he was probably one of the most talented players on the team. But talent only takes you so far without the drive to back it up.
“My coach in high school was a little more strict,” Hall explained. “He just didn’t think I was ready yet. I was easily just as talented if not more talented than a lot of guys on the team, but my maturity and work ethic wasn’t there.”
Hall candidly admitted that while he could outshine everyone on the field, he wasn’t hitting the weights or putting in the work like he should have. Hence, the coach benched him, and that taught the RB a valuable lesson. It gave him a chance to reflect, and once he made varsity, his team went on to have a killer year, even going to State.
Fast forward to the NFL, and Hall was as ready as he could be. He hit the ground running, putting up impressive numbers and showing everyone that his maturity and work ethic were now clubbed together with his natural talent.
