Prior to last year’s Ohio State-Michigan game, I heard a lot of stories about how Leon Hall can “shut down an offense”. I had never watched a Michigan game with my focus on Hall, so I had no counter-argument to that claim. My only response was “never heard of him”, and I blew off all praise of the defensive back.
I have now had my focus on him in two games. And I have a question for those who sing his praises.
“Are you freaking kidding me?”
I watched him as he allowed receiver after receiver in the Ohio State game get past him. Brian Robiskie shed Hall’s tackle and got a 40-yard reception off him. Ted Ginn Jr. blew by him for a 37-yard TD. The list goes on and on from that day, as Ohio State scored 42 points off Hall’s defense.
Then yesterday I focused on Hall’s defense against the Cleveland Browns. If you want to call it “defense”. Braylon Edwards left him in the dirt twice on TD receptions, and the second one was comical. Hall WATCHED his safety sneak into blitz protection BEFORE the ball was snapped, and still released Edwards on a route, KNOWING that the safety wasn’t behind him anymore. Edwards didn’t have a man within 15 yards of him, and he skidded into the end zone for an easy TD. I have no idea how many more yards and receptions he allowed, but I’ll watch that game again today.
My point is – as much fun as it was watching the Browns destroy a defense yesterday, it was even more enjoyable knowing that Leon Hall was on that D.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
