Nathan Michael Hall (born April 6, 1996) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, pl ...
for the
Memphis Showboats
The Memphis Showboats were an American football franchise in the United States Football League. They entered the league in its expansion in 1984 and made the 1985 playoffs, losing in the semifinal round to the Oakland Invaders. Perhaps the m ...
of the
United States Football League
The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...
(USFL). He played football at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Chart ...
.
Early years
Hall attended
Southview High School, where he practiced football,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
and
track. In football, he was a two-way player at
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense (sports), offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide ...
and
defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
. As a senior, he received All-Ohio, All-Blade and All-Conference honors.
He finished his high school career with 111 tackles, three interceptions, and 16 receptions for 408 yards.
College career
Hall accepted a football scholarship from
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Chart ...
. As a
redshirt
Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi
* Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after b ...
freshman, he replaced an injured Jaylen Prater and started the last 4 games at
outside linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, pla ...
. He tallied 56 tackles (fifth on the team). He had 10 tackles against
Penn State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State becam ...
.
As a sophomore, he appeared in 13 games with 8 starts at
middle linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
. He collected 73 tackles (third on the team) and 6 tackles for loss.
As a junior, he was named a full-time starter at
middle linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
, registering 79 tackles (second on the team), 16.5 tackles for loss (sixth in school history), 5 sacks, 2 interceptions and 6 pass breakups. He had 11 tackles (8 solo) and 3.5 tackles for loss against the
University of Maryland
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the Flagship un ...
. He made an interception in the Wildcats endzone to seal a 39–31 triple-overtime win against 16th-ranked
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...
. He tore his right ACL while practicing for the
2017 Music City Bowl.
As a senior, he started 9 games and missed 5 contests (including the
2018 Holiday Bowl
The 2018 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 31, 2018. It was the 41st edition of the Holiday Bowl, and one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. This was the second season in which ...
) with a shoulder injury. He posted 51 tackles (5.5 for loss), 3 interceptions (tied for the team lead) and 2 pass breakups. He had 10 tackles against
Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and ...
.
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
Hall was signed by the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
after the
2019 NFL Draft
The 2019 NFL Draft was the 84th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2019 NFL season. The draft was held on April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee. The first round was held on April ...
on April 30. He was waived on August 31.
Buffalo Bills
On September 1, 2019, Hall was signed to the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division ...
'
practice squad. He was released on September 12, but re-signed back to practice squad on September 24. He was released on October 29.
Houston Texans
On December 3, 2019, Hall was signed to the
Houston Texans practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Texans on January 13, 2020.
On September 5, 2020, Hall was waived by the Texans and signed to the practice squad the next day. He was elevated to the active roster on October 10, November 7, and November 14 for the team's weeks 5, 9, and 10 games, two against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
, and one against the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
, and reverted to the practice squad after each game. He was promoted to the active roster on November 21, 2020. In Week 12 against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
, Hall recorded his first two career sacks on
Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected ...
during the 41–25 win.
On August 2, 2021, Hall was waived by the Texans.
Carolina Panthers
On August 3, 2021, Hall was claimed off waivers by the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
. He was waived/injured on August 17 and placed on injured reserve. He was released on August 23.
Los Angeles Chargers
On October 13, 2021, Hall was signed to the
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...
practice squad, but was released the next day.
Arizona Cardinals
On December 7, 2021, Hall was signed to the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division, an ...
practice squad. He was released on January 10, 2022.
Tennessee Titans
On January 24, 2022, Hall signed a reserve/future contract with the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. He was waived on May 2, 2022.
Memphis Showboats
Hall signed with the
Memphis Showboats
The Memphis Showboats were an American football franchise in the United States Football League. They entered the league in its expansion in 1984 and made the 1985 playoffs, losing in the semifinal round to the Oakland Invaders. Perhaps the m ...
of the USFL on December 13, 2022.
References
External links
Northwestern bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Nate
1996 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Toledo, Ohio
Players of American football from Ohio
American football linebackers
Northwestern Wildcats football players
Dallas Cowboys players
Buffalo Bills players
Houston Texans players
Carolina Panthers players
Los Angeles Chargers players
Arizona Cardinals players
Tennessee Titans players