by Lee Brecheen
 |
| Patrick Hall |
July 29, 2011 - I had a chance to travel to Alexandria High School last spring and meet a young man named Patrick Hall from Alexandria High School along with several of his teammates. I came away super impressed by this kid not only from filming him as a football player, which we did in 2010, but from meeting this young man. He represented the high school and himself in a very mature way. If I was a coach giving out scholarships I would given him one that day just based on first impressions.
Patrick Hall is 6-2, 261 pounds, and he has quick feet for a kid over 240. While watching him on film in 2010, I noticed he was playing OT for his team because he was one of the biggest linemen on the team. If he moved to Offensive Guard or Center in college for DI or IAA he would be a great fit because his size would be better there and those would be his natural positions. That’s the beauty of watching film. Kids don’t always play the positions they’re going to play in college, and you have to see that and add that up after watching film of kids. Patrick Hall will be a steal in recruiting because some schools will not look at film and see the move, but the smart coaches will see that really fast. Patrick is very smart in the classroom with a 3.1 GPA and a 28 ACT.
I like his technique at this point more than his overall upper body strength even though he’s almost pushing 460 pounds in the squat (strong legs). However, I think once he gets in a college weight room and gets another 20 pounds of muscle, he will show more of that power. Since he is outside and undersized for OT in high school, you’re not seeing as much as if he would be inside blocking more and driving straight ahead with shorter less quick lineman. For a kid his size, not many players get behind him as an OT. He could also play DT in college because at times he looked the part on film for his high school team. I love his upside, and if he ends up IAA or DI with more hard work in the weight room and the right school he has a chance to be a really good player in college.
Be sure to check out more on Patrick Hall and Alexandria High School in our 2011 preview issue of Louisiana Football Magazine which will be ready for shipping on August 6th. There are limited copies available, so order yours now at www.lafootballmagazine.com/store.
Also "Like" our facebook page at www.facebook.com/lafootballmagazine.
Hope you enjoy the interview with Mark Clements below.
Interview by Mark Clements
LAFM: For starters, what’s your current height, weight and forty time?
PH: My current height is probably around 6’2”, my current weight is 261 and I don’t really know my forty time right now, but last time I ran the forty it was 5.2.
LAFM: Are you originally from Louisiana?
PH: Yeah, I grew up in Alexandria.
LAFM: Which teams did you root for growing up?
PH: College would be Oregon and pro team would be Saints.
LAFM: So what made you a big Oregon fan growing up?
PH: They seemed like they had a good coaching staff and I liked their uniforms.
LAFM: When did you first start playing football?
PH: I first started playing football probably around age 13 or 14.
LAFM: Has it always been a big part of your family? Have you had family members who played football in the past?
PH: Yeah, I have a cousin who played in the NFL – Reggie Nelson. He played for the Chargers.
LAFM: Do you play any other sports?
PH: I do track and field. I do shot put and discus
LAFM: Do you play any other positions besides offensive line?
PH: I do D-line as well.
LAFM: If so, where do you see yourself being recruited?
PH: I play more offensive lineman but right now just because of my size I’d probably be more of a D-lineman.
LAFM: Is there anyone in college or the Pros that you try to model your game after?
PH: As far as pro wise, I try to really do my stuff on the offensive side of the ball like my cousin, Reggie. I like how he was able to get to the ball quick or wherever the ball was he would be in front of it to block.
LAFM: What do you think is your biggest strength as a player and what part of your game are you trying to improve upon most next year?
PH: The biggest strength I have as a player with my size would probably be my speed. The thing I would probably want to work on the most would be hand coordination so I can try to pass block better.
LAFM: Have you been to any camps at this point? If so, which ones?
PH: No, I haven’t been to any camps lately, but I do plan on going to some in the future.
LAFM: Which colleges have you received offers from?
PH: Yeah I’ve got an offer from McNeese and from Loyola.
LAFM: Which schools stick out right now at the top of your list? Is playing close to home a big factor in your recruitment?
PH: It would be Oregon, LSU, Florida, Oklahoma, Auburn.
LAFM: Have you thought about what you might want to study in college?
PH: No, not yet.
LAFM: What are some goals you’ve set for next season, for yourself and for the team?
PH: This coming year I know we’re going to play as hard as we can and hope we go far.
LAFM: Which school is your favorite to play against, or which game gets you the most fired up each year?
PH: It would probably be Peabody because I think it’s been like 20 years and they haven’t beaten us yet. So that would probably be my most motivated game so that we can keep that going.
LAFM: What are some of the most memorable games or plays you’ve been a part of?
PH: It would definitely have to be the 2010 year and we came back and won in the last nine seconds of the game.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
