Bad news. Due to problems with his wife, a key Atlanta player announced his retirement.

Bad news. Due to problems with his wife, a key Atlanta player announced his retirement.

The Atlanta Falcons selected DeAngelo Hall eighth overall in the 2004 NFL Draft, and the brazen, explosive cornerback made a significant impression right away. He recorded a total of 10 interceptions, four fumble recoveries, and two defensive touchdowns in the seasons of 2005 and 2006. After his first three seasons, you would have predicted that he would play for the Falcons for at least ten years, if you had to guess.

Naturally, that did not occur. In 2008, the Falcons installed a new management team led by Mike Smith and Thomas Dimitroff. The team traded him for a second-round selection. After just eight games on a terrible multi-year contract with Oakland, Hall was cut, and it appeared as though his career was about to blow up.

Naturally, that also didn’t occur. Even though he didn’t have many great seasons during his roughly ten years in Washington, Hall managed to compile a lengthy and excellent career. After announcing his retirement today, Hall ends a 14-year career with 43 interceptions and some genuinely amazing seasons under his belt. His final season may have been 2015, though. He was a decent player, but by no means is he going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

 

 

The date is January 14, 2012. We are in San Francisco at Candlestick Park. The 49ers need a touchdown with 14 seconds remaining, down three, and facing a third down to maintain their hopes of making the playoffs without having to go to overtime. In the meantime, the Saints can draw a conclusion from this and move on to the NFC Championship Game. We need to look back in time to comprehend how we got here and to fully appreciate what this moment signifies.

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I will always cherish his early years in Atlanta, when his playmaking ability appeared unbounded despite his tendency to burn out at the worst time, and the near-fight between him and Mike Smith on the sidelines during Hall’s Washington years. We hope he has a great retirement, and you’ll probably hear him in a studio at some point. He says he wants to work in broadcasting or in the front office for the NFL.