The book on Jason Hall
By Eric Nahlin, Inside Texas Recruiting Editor
Posted Aug 19, 2014
http://insidetexas.com/news/story.php?article=5141&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
When South Grand Prairie DB, Jason Hall, signed his LOI last February, it barely registered on the radar. He was largely viewed as a lengthy, somewhat versatile piece in the secondary, but there certainly weren’t expectations for him to play early.
Fast forward 6-7 months and Hall is starting to create a buzz as he ascends the depth chart and vies for 1st team snaps. In many ways he’s very fortunate the safety roster is lacking from top to bottom, but fortune is also self-made.
I talked to Quick Twitch defensive back coach, Clay Mack https://twitter.com/coachclaymack , about one of his prized pupils. There isn’t a person alive who understands better what Jason Hall brings to the table. There also isn’t a person – outside of Hall himself – more responsible for Hall’s well-rounded skillset.
I’ll let Mack, the former Mississippi State Bulldog cornerback, bite the mic and tell you what he knows.
Clay Mack on Jason Hall:
I talked to him about a week ago and he’s really excited about the opportunity. Loves the staff. Feels comfortable up there. He’s correcting mistakes quickly and acclimating quickly. He’s comfortable with his reads and matching responsibilities. One thing he has going for him is he’s learning mostly new things like everyone else on the roster. It’s all fresh because of the new staff so people are starting from scratch, other than the spring.
J-Hall making a name for himself isn’t so much about what he’s done since he’s been on campus but beforehand. You know, he comes from a big-time athletic family. His dad was a big-time point guard at Kimball. His brother was big-time point guard. J-Hall was a good point guard too. Being a former point guard and having those genes helps with his movement skills. He’s also an intelligent kid with great size so he kind of came in ready and confident.
He decided to play football rather than basketball not long after I got him three years ago. We had an instant connection and he was very coachable. After a month of training with me, his dad called me and said he’s starting to really like football and wanted to dedicate himself to football full-time and give up hoops.
His senior year he actually played corner one game and had three picks. I train all my guys to have CB skill sets even the bigger guys like Jamal Adams, Garrett Davis, Ed Paris, and Marcus Green because that will help them no matter what and get them noticed for how they move and not just for their size. I tell them when they get told they move well for a big kid to take that as an insult. They should hear they move well period. Jason Hall moves well.
I tell my guys they have to have corner mannerisms even if they’re not a CB. With all the movement pre-snap, you can go from safety to covering slot in the blink of an eye. I tell my guys you have to be versatile. You’re not a corner or a safety, you’re a defensive back.
The way the game is transitioning you have to be meticulous in your footwork. In the first week of the NFL preseason, there was something like 80 calls after five yards on DB’s. That’s why skill set is so important. I’m always on my guys about their
elbows, footwork, hips, and having your body synced because these days after five yards, you have to put your hands in your pockets.
J-Hall has sideline-to-sideline range if he has to play up high but he also has really good size and is physical. He benches 325 – which is a lot for his age and length - and runs right at 4.5 so you can really put him anywhere. Like I said, up high, in the box or nickel-back, he’s very versatile; a complete DB.
By Eric Nahlin, Inside Texas Recruiting Editor
Posted Aug 19, 2014
http://insidetexas.com/news/story.php?article=5141&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
When South Grand Prairie DB, Jason Hall, signed his LOI last February, it barely registered on the radar. He was largely viewed as a lengthy, somewhat versatile piece in the secondary, but there certainly weren’t expectations for him to play early.
Fast forward 6-7 months and Hall is starting to create a buzz as he ascends the depth chart and vies for 1st team snaps. In many ways he’s very fortunate the safety roster is lacking from top to bottom, but fortune is also self-made.
I talked to Quick Twitch defensive back coach, Clay Mack https://twitter.com/coachclaymack , about one of his prized pupils. There isn’t a person alive who understands better what Jason Hall brings to the table. There also isn’t a person – outside of Hall himself – more responsible for Hall’s well-rounded skillset.
I’ll let Mack, the former Mississippi State Bulldog cornerback, bite the mic and tell you what he knows.
Clay Mack on Jason Hall:
I talked to him about a week ago and he’s really excited about the opportunity. Loves the staff. Feels comfortable up there. He’s correcting mistakes quickly and acclimating quickly. He’s comfortable with his reads and matching responsibilities. One thing he has going for him is he’s learning mostly new things like everyone else on the roster. It’s all fresh because of the new staff so people are starting from scratch, other than the spring.
J-Hall making a name for himself isn’t so much about what he’s done since he’s been on campus but beforehand. You know, he comes from a big-time athletic family. His dad was a big-time point guard at Kimball. His brother was big-time point guard. J-Hall was a good point guard too. Being a former point guard and having those genes helps with his movement skills. He’s also an intelligent kid with great size so he kind of came in ready and confident.
He decided to play football rather than basketball not long after I got him three years ago. We had an instant connection and he was very coachable. After a month of training with me, his dad called me and said he’s starting to really like football and wanted to dedicate himself to football full-time and give up hoops.
His senior year he actually played corner one game and had three picks. I train all my guys to have CB skill sets even the bigger guys like Jamal Adams, Garrett Davis, Ed Paris, and Marcus Green because that will help them no matter what and get them noticed for how they move and not just for their size. I tell them when they get told they move well for a big kid to take that as an insult. They should hear they move well period. Jason Hall moves well.
I tell my guys they have to have corner mannerisms even if they’re not a CB. With all the movement pre-snap, you can go from safety to covering slot in the blink of an eye. I tell my guys you have to be versatile. You’re not a corner or a safety, you’re a defensive back.
The way the game is transitioning you have to be meticulous in your footwork. In the first week of the NFL preseason, there was something like 80 calls after five yards on DB’s. That’s why skill set is so important. I’m always on my guys about their
elbows, footwork, hips, and having your body synced because these days after five yards, you have to put your hands in your pockets.
J-Hall has sideline-to-sideline range if he has to play up high but he also has really good size and is physical. He benches 325 – which is a lot for his age and length - and runs right at 4.5 so you can really put him anywhere. Like I said, up high, in the box or nickel-back, he’s very versatile; a complete DB.
