DeAngelo Hall Exits Stage Left
August 3, 2018
by Steve Thomas
In a move that has been expected for some time, longtime Redskins defensive back DeAngelo Hall formally announced his retirement from the NFL this week. DeAngelo clearly still had the desire to play, but in the end, his body betrayed him for the final time after 14 years in pro football.
DeAngelo’s story is well known – local Virginia kid and childhood Redskins fan who excelled in all manner of athletics in high school and headed to Virginia Tech on a football scholarship. The Atlanta Falcons selected him in the first round of the 2004 draft, where Hall spend 5 sometimes successful and always controversial seasons, earning both two Pro Bowl selections and the ire of fans for his immature antics. The Falcons eventually got tired of the sideshow and traded him to the Oakland Raiders. Hall’s time in the silver and black can only be deemed a disaster, and he was released on November 5, 2008, after just a half of a season in Oakland. It was the lowest of low times for Hall. And then….
…..redemption.
Hall’s hometown Washington Redskins signed him to a one year contract just three days later, and the rest is history: DeAngelo ended up staying in D.C. for nine and a half seasons, where he excelled for much of it as the Redskins’ #1 corner, earning another Pro Bowl birth in 2010. As his athleticism started to wane, Hall transitioned to safety for his final years in the league before injuries took their toll. He finishes his career with 23 interceptions as a Redskin, which is 10th in franchise history. But you knew all of that. His biography is most well known and least interesting part of Hall’s story.
He is, first and foremost, a story of redemption. Hall went from first round bust who was quite literally run out of Oakland as an immature young player, only to make a stunning turnaround to become to a model player and a face of the Redskins franchise. You’d be hard pressed to find a bigger turnaround for any player than the one he made. It’s just not the normal path for most players. Perhaps coming home to Virginia clicked for him; maybe he just grew up, or it could have been a combination of both. Whatever the reason, it worked. When Hall found his way to Washington in 2008, absolutely no one could have anticipated that a hot-headed showboat would become one of the best corners in team history and a model of professionalism.
Hall’s time with the franchise came during some bleak years, but he became perhaps the most consistently reliable and exciting player on a defense that often lacked starpower. He was a player for whom everyone, from fans to opposing teams, had to take notice. He seemingly always found himself lined up against the opposing team’s best receiver, winning those battles more often than not. His battles against receivers like Dez Bryant were often the best part of game during some of these years.
I, for one, will miss seeing DeAngelo’s number 23 lined up in the backfield each week. He transformed from someone who I initially questioned his very presence in Washington into my favorite Redskin of his era. Time waits for no one, though, and while his career didn’t end totally the way he wanted, by NFL standards he was as close to going out on his terms as most players can get. I think Hall’s NFL journey is a lesson for everyone in the value of second chances and in not judging someone too early. I very much appreciate what Hall became during his tenure with the Redskins, and although the bell has tolled on his on the field contributions, I hope his contributions to the team continue in some capacity. He’s earned a spot amongst the franchise’s honored, valued alumni, and I look forward to seeing him continue to help out the franchise one way or the other.
So, I’d like to say goodbye and good luck to one of my favorite Redskins. DeAngelo, I hope you have a blast spending some well-earned time with your family. Enjoy your retirement. You’ve earned it. Don’t be a stranger.