Vince Hall

The pulse of the Hokies' defense, Vince Hall started 44 consecutive games at Virginia Tech before he was sidelined six games into his senior season by a broken bone in his left wrist. He was one of the reasons the Hokies boasted one of college football's best defenses. During his four seasons at the university, Tech led the nation in total defense after the 2005 (247.62 yards per game) and '06 season (219.46 ypg), while ranking fourth in both '04 (268.0 ypg) and '07 (296.93 ypg). To say that Hall has a "nose for the football" would be selling him short. He recorded 404 tackles during his career and became the ninth player in school history to lead the team in tackles twice in a career. Much like Hall, all the other players to accomplish that feat were linebackers, joining Rick Razzano (1974-77), Ashley Lee (1980-81), Mike Johnson (1982083), Paul Nelson (1985-86), George DelRicco (1994-95), Jamel Smith (1998-99), Ben Taylor (2000-01) and Mikal Baaqee (2003-04). At Western Branch High School, Hall was named 2002 Gatorade Virginia Football Player of the Year. He lettered four seasons as a linebacker and tight end, earning All-American honors from both Super Prep and Prep Star as a linebacker following his senior season. He was a member of Super Prep's Elite 100 and added first-team Class AAA All-State accolades from the Associated Press and the AAA coaches' association on defense, as he was also a second-team choice at tight end. Hall was named to the VHSCA All-Eastern Region first-team on both sides of the ball and was also a member of the first-team All-Tidewater squad as a senior. He earned the Abe Goldblatt Player of the Year Award and was named the Eastern Region and Southeastern District Defensive Player of the Year as both a junior and senior. He also collected first-team All-Southeastern District honors as a sophomore, junior and senior. Hall was a first-team selection to the 2001 AAA Coaches and Associated Press All-State teams at the linebacker spot as a junior. He was also a first-team All-Tidewater selection as a junior and a second-team pick as a sophomore. He was rated the fifth-best inside linebacker in the country and 14th-best player in the Mid-Atlantic region by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report. He was rated the third-best player in Virginia by The Roanoke Times and the state's second-ranked prospect in Virginia by Super Prep. Hall added Norfolk Sports Club Athlete of the Year and Ace Parker Sportsman of the Year accolades during his career. He recorded over 120 tackles, 23 stops for losses and 10 sacks his senior season, as he also had three interceptions. Hall enrolled at Virginia Tech in 2003, spending the year as a middle linebacker on the scout team. He earned Iron Hokie Award (top lifting performances) after the season and used that improved strength to wrest a starting job at left inside linebacker after the 2004 season opener. He would go on to start his next 48 games. In 2004, Hall ranked second on the squad with 64 tackles (21 solo), including a three-yard sack, 4 1/2 stops for losses and seven pressures. He deflected three passes and also caused one fumble. His sophomore year saw Hall lead the team with 112 tackles (43 solo). He added three sacks, ranked third on the squad with 8 1/2 stops behind the line of scrimmage and also finished third with 15 pressures. He returned a fumble recovery for a touchdown and scored again on one of two interception returns while deflecting eight passes. College Football News named Hall to their All-American first-team in 2006, as he also gained All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors. For the second-straight year, he led the team with a career-high 128 tackles (61 solo). He had a pair of sacks, paced the Hokies with 10 1/2 stops for losses and was credited with eight pressures. He caused two fumbles and recovered another while also deflecting one pass. A preseason All-American, Hall's wrist fracture cost him a chance for national honors as a senior, but he still managed to rank second on the team with 100 tackles (37 solos). He posted 3 1/2 sacks, 6 1/2 stops for losses and four pressures. He also picked off a pass and deflected four others.

positives

Lacks ideal height and has just adequate muscle tone in his upper body, but shows good lower-body thickness to anchor and has the large hands to grab and drag down ballcarriers when making arm tackles...Plays with good leverage and anticipation inside the box, where he shows above-average balance slipping under blocks to give chase in the backfield...Needs to improve his timing on the blitz, but does a good job of avoiding low blocks working through trash...Shows enough hand strength to reroute tight ends and backs in the short-area passing game...Plays at a high intensity level and shows a good understanding for blocking concepts...Puts in extra hours in the film and training room...Generally durable athlete (made a very quick recovery from 2007 wrist surgery) who plays through pain (was listed as questionable after hurting his knee a few days prior to the 2008 Orange Bowl, but did start)...Very passionate about the game and takes well to hard coaching...Shows sudden moves to close on the ball and quick reactions to plays in front of him...Quick to read keys and shows good gap leverage when he keeps his hands inside his frame, though, when too wide, lineman have had success stone-walling him...Good downhill player who will throw his body around at the point of attack to neutralize blockers...When he plays low to the ground, he does a good job of pushing blockers back with his hand punch...Gives up a lot because of his size, but will not hesitate to sacrifice himself to fill the gaps...Bit stiff in his hips, but does an adequate job of spinning out of blocks...Gets inconsistent separation at the point of attack, but he will battle the blocker until the whistle...Has the functional burst to close and can get "skinny" to slip through tight areas and clog the rush lane...Willing hitter who might rely on arm tackles, at times, but shows proper breakdown in the hole and solid wrap-up technique when he doesn't get out of control in his pursuit charge...Can explode into ballcarriers in closed quarters and is a strong face-up tackler working in the box...Has a good feel for the ball in flight, but lacks the long speed to play deep in the zone...Shows good snap timing to overpower fullbacks shooting the inside gaps, along with good balance to bounce off blocks when trying to collapse the pocket...Has good potential to pressure...Compensates for a lack of blazing speed with good timing and power to disrupt runs or collapse the pocket.

compares to

EDGERTON HARTWELL-ex-Baltimore/Atlanta/Cincinnati...Hall can really put a licking on a ballcarrier in the short area. He is more of a downhill tackler, but he shows good anchor to take on isolated blockers. He is quick to react once he locates the ball and plays with good leverage on the ball. He is too stiff in his hips to stay with receivers on long routes and his lack of ideal size will see him get washed out of the play vs. the bigger blockers. He can shock an opponent with his hand punch and has a good feel for blocking schemes. Hall shows good balance on the blitz, but is late to shed once a blocker gets into his chest. Like Hartwell, he will make lots of plays in run force, but he's too much of a liability with his hip stiffness to be relied on vs. the passing game.

negatives

Shorter than ideal, but shows good lower-body thickness to anchor...Little too tight in his hips to flow to the ball smoothly and needs to open his hips quicker in his pass drops...Loses gap integrity when he gets too reckless and outruns the play...Needs to be more consistent squaring his shoulders before tackling and will dip them on occasion...Does not use his arm extension or hand punch to disengage when larger blockers latch on...Struggles to reach the edge on the blitz and when he gets his hands outside the framework, linemen can ride him away from the play...Very effective tackler in tight areas, but will get sloppy when playing in space...Bit of a liability in intermediate and deep pass coverage due to hip stiffness and takes false steps in transition...Does not have the foot speed to stay with receivers on long patterns...Needs to refine his backpedal technique; will shuffle his feet and come out of his turns too early...Lacks natural hands, as several of his pass deflections could have been interceptions...Must be more active with his hands when trying to disengage from tight ends playing off the line...Does not have the recovery speed when receivers gobble up his cushion and get behind him on routes...Considered a liability in pass coverage due to poor timed speed past the short area and marginal hip snap on his breaks...Tries to avoid blocks, but when he runs under them, he can be cut...Occasionally takes bad angles pursuing in space.

2003: Suffered a left knee medial collateral ligament sprain before reporting to fall camp. 2007: Broke a bone in his left wrist/forearm vs. Clemson (10/06). Underwent surgery the next day and sat out the Duke (10/13), Boston College (10/25), Georgia Tech (11/01) and Florida State (11/10) contests...Suffered a left knee sprain at a team beach function (12/30) before the 2008 Orange Bowl (1/03/08), but still played vs. Kansas.

Campus: 4.89 in the 40-yard dash

340-pound bench press

340-pound power clean

321-pound push jerk

530-pound squat

31 1/8-inch arm length

9 3/8-inch hands

Left-handed

14/23 Wonderlic score.

Attended Western Branch (Chesapeake, Va.) High School, playing football for head coach Lewis Johnston

Named 2002 Gatorade Virginia Football Player of the Year

Lettered four seasons as a linebacker and tight end, earning All-American honors from both Super Prep and Prep Star as a linebacker following his senior season

Member of Super Prep's Elite 100 list and added first-team Class AAA All-State accolades from the Associated Press and the AAA coaches' association on defense, as he was also a second-team choice at tight end

Named to the VHSCA All-Eastern Region first-team on both sides of the ball and was also a member of the first-team All-Tidewater squad as a senior

Earned the Abe Goldblatt Player of the Year Award and was named the Eastern Region and Southeastern District Defensive Player of the Year as both a junior and senior

Collected first-team All-Southeastern District honors as a sophomore, junior and senior

First-team selection to the 2001 AAA Coaches and Associated Press All-State teams at the linebacker spot as a junior

First-team All-Tidewater choice as a junior, adding second-team accolades as a sophomore

Rated the fifth-best inside linebacker in the country and 14th-best player in the Mid-Atlantic region by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report

Rated the third-best player in Virginia by The Roanoke Times and the state's second-ranked prospect in Virginia by Super Prep

Added Norfolk Sports Club Athlete of the Year and Ace Parker Sportsman of the Year accolades during his career

Recorded over 120 tackles, 23 stops for losses and 10 sacks his senior season, as he also had three interceptions.

Apparel, Housing and Resource Management major

Son of Cathy and Wilbert Hall

Born Vincent Larry Hall on 12/3/84 in Kingsville, Texas

Resides in Chesapeake, Virginia.