It is the preseason, but the first opportunity to The Cleveland Browns Putting on an NFL uniform and stepping onto the field at an NFL stadium still brings with it a lot of emotions for first-year players.
Mike Hall, the second-round pick, also admitted this after the Browns’ 23-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
“Without a doubt,” Hall said of the nerves before the first game. “I prepared myself mentally before the game. I went into the tunnel and just took it all in.”
For Hall, who called Ohio home long before he was drafted by the Browns, it meant something more. After playing high school football in Streetsboro, Hall took his talents up I-71 to Columbus to play college for the Ohio State Buckeyes. His path came full circle, however, when he got the opportunity to step onto the field in brown and orange at Cleveland Browns Stadium for the first time. What made the moment even more special was the fact that he got to do it in front of about 10 members of his closest family and friends.
“To play in front of my hometown, growing up here, spending my whole life here, being at Ohio State University and coming back here again,” Hall said. “It’s an amazing feeling to play in front of thousands and thousands of fans.”
When Hall went on defense with about eight minutes left in the first quarter, he didn’t care about the emotions of the moment. He was only concerned with football.
Hall’s NFL debut — at least in the preseason — won’t necessarily blow anyone away based on the stats alone. He finished the game with just one tackle, but that’s not all. At some points in the game, Hall was double-covered by two Packers linemen — a testament to how dangerous he was to some of the other defensive linemen he was on the field with.
There were some plays where Hall created some interior pressure, some plays where he showed great drive in pursuit. It was just a small sample of Hall’s full potential, but it was a start.
What’s impressive about Hall is that nothing has seemed to faze him in his first three months in the NFL. Making the jump to the pros is always an adjustment, but he believes he’s working hard to make his transition as smooth as possible — with the support of some experienced veterans around him.
“Just the work ethic that I’ve shown and sticking it out after practice or learning things from guys like Za’Darius (Smith), Myles (Garrett) or Mo (Hurst),” Hall said. “I think I’ve done a pretty good job of staying on track, so I don’t think there’s really nothing I need to keep working on. Just piling on days and being consistent.”
