Tyreek Hill and Dante Hall: Gamechangers
There have been many great football players that have come into the National Football League and captured the spotlight with special talent. Some players can hurl the ball down the field 60 yards in the air. Some can barrel over three defenders. Others can make a tackle with incredible power. Then there have been a few players who can blaze by defenders with speed and quickness that is almost inhumane.
Dante Hall, one of the most underrated return specialists in NFL history, and Tyreek Hill, an up-and-coming superstar in the league today, both fit the latter. They have made names for themselves that justify their speed: “The Human Joystick” and “Cheetah,” respectively.
Both players have their own stories, and both have their own particular skills. These speedsters have dazzled NFL fans with a certain kind of agility and burst that is so rare to come by. There are many differences between the former and current Chief, but there are more similarities than you might think.
From low-round draft pick to NFL phenom
Dante Hall was drafted in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs out of Texas A&M University. Hall was a shifty running back for the Aggies, yet he only eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in his junior season. In his senior season, Hall was limited by injury and also was dismissed from the program for a violation of team rules.
However, Hall was drafted in the fifth round by the Chiefs and none of the previous story would matter. Hall spent his rookie season in a limited role returning kicks and punts, but spent the following spring in NFL Europe in Scotland, where he excelled as a kick returner, leading all players with 26 returns for 635 yards.
In the 2002 season, Hall began his career as one of the most prolific return men in NFL history. On October 6, 2002 he scored his first career touchdown on a 60 yard pass from Trent Green. As the season progressed, Hall continued to wow fans with his unique ability that seemingly came out of nowhere. This was the breakout season that put him on the map in the league, racking up 2,120 all purpose yards and 6 total TDs.
One year later, on October 5, 2003, Hall gave us a punt return that will never be forgotten. On a play that looked like a sure tackle for loss, he weaved around the field and juked defenders until he took it to the house. The result of the play was a 93-yard touchdown, and the birth of a Chiefs legend, “The Human Joystick.”
Hall continued to electrify on special teams for the rest of his career, totaling over 12,000 return yards and 12 TDs. After playing in Kansas City for 7 seasons, the Chiefs traded Hall to the Saint Louis Rams for a fifth round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Hall had a quiet end to his career with only one touchdown in his two years with the Rams, and he retired in 2008.
While Hall never put up huge receiving numbers or scored a touchdown every time he touched the ball, he dazzled with his unique return skills and incredible quickness. He may not reach the Hall of Fame, but he will go down as one of the most dangerous return men in NFL history.