DT Mike Hall Jr. (4.26.24)

Michael, congratulations. What does it mean to be from Cleveland, play at Ohio State and stay home?

“I feel like that’s the greatest feeling ever in the world. You know, I gotta, you know, first and foremost give thanks to my lord and savior Jesus Christ. You know, without him, nothing is possible. So appreciative of him. And, you know, without him even giving me life, you know, to even be able to wake up today, you know, it’s just real. It’s a real blessing.”

 

Hi, Michael, it’s Ashley Bastock from Cleveland.com. I know you’ve gotten a chance to talk to Coach (Jim) Schwartz. It sounds like already just what are your first impressions of him and how you think you’re going to fit in this defense and your pass rushing ability and all that?

“I mean, yeah, Coach Schwartz, you know, best of the best for sure. You know, he knows exactly what he’s talking about. And, you know, you just got to go out there, you got to be physical, you got to play hard, get injured in the defense. And that’s their whole philosophy, you know, everything else, you know, and then we got to be the anchor of the defense for sure. So, I mean, the red shape, naturally, you know, the tough coach is going to love on you a little bit for sure, but he’s going to bring the best out of you, and I greatly appreciate that.”

 

So why are you such a good pass rusher?

“Oh, I would just say my explosiveness and my get off, you know, just having my toolbox. Just learning that from Larry Johnson, my position coach at Ohio State. I mean, just, he developed me great into a player just understanding, like, different moves that I was already good at. Is just working off that and just having a good foundation, and he was able to build off that.”

 

Hey Michael, these scouting reports always find ways to nitpick. The guy from NFL.com said that you might be a little light to withstand NFL games. What do you say to that?

“I would say, you know, obviously he didn’t watch the tape, so, you know, it’s nothing personal or anything about that. You know, a lot of people have a lot of stuff to say. The naysayers, you know, you can’t focus on that. You got to focus on the positive. You know, you got to let those people have opinions.”

 

Hey, Michael. Camryn Justice from News Five, Cleveland here. Congratulations. Before this draft, Denzel Ward was asked about what Buckeyes he wanted to have on the team, and your name was brought up, and he said that would be a great addition for you to come on this team and join him on this roster and him to have said that about you before you were picked, what does that mean to you?

“I mean, you know, two Ohio guys growing up here, you know, Cleveland, Ohio, is just a great feeling. You know, we know we’re real familiar with the area, and, you know, to stay here our whole career, I mean, from Pop Warner to high school, middle school to college, Ohio State, you know, and then still staying home at the top of the peak of the level, so just great.”

 

 

Hey, Michael, we know you ended up at Streetsboro, but I understand you start at Benedictine. Could you. Where were you born and how did you end up in Streetsboro?

“So, I was born in Garfield Heights originally, and I lived there just about my entire life. And then when I got to age, was it 15? That was. That was like, at the end of Benedictine. And then my mom found a job out of Streetsboro. That was. It was a better pay, so she decided, you know, it was better for us to move out there. And Benedictine was going to be an hour drive every day to get to school, so it just wasn’t beneficial to her. So, my last three years of high school out there, she’s where? My sophomore year, senior year.”

 

Hey, Michael, Tom Withers from the AP. We saw on tv just a little while ago that you became a dad during the season last year. What’s fatherhood been like for you? How’s that changed you?

“Yeah, it’s been the best. It’s been our greatest addition to my life, for sure. You know, teach me a lot of patience. You know, just be robot for my son. I mean, it’s just the best feeling. For him to even be around this and witnessing this, using all the videos and, you know, just give him something good to look back on, like, you know, dang, my dad did something real positive, so.”

 

Hey, Mike, Chris Easterling from the Akron Beacon Journal. You’ve talked about playing, you know, coming, you know, staying in the same area and, you know, playing in your backyard. Do you feel like, you know, that puts, I don’t want to say puts pressure, but the opportunity to sort of be, you know, be a role model, be, you know, be someone that, hey, look, like you say, I came from here. I can look where I can go. How much do you sort of take that, you know, take that mindset, take, you know, you take that responsibility on?

“Oh, I mean, I love it. You know, I’m not one of those guys who’s gonna run away from the pressure. I mean, I run to it, I’m gonna head on. So, you know, it’s gonna be a lot of pressure on me playing in my hometown. You know, a lot of people gonna have a lot of expectations, but, you know, at the end of the day, as a player, I still have demands, you know, that I have to meet expectations. So I’m gonna hold myself very, you know, high on that and hold myself accountable. And it just got to be the best way that I can be and control the controllable.”

 

Michael, I’m sure you watched the success that Dawand Jones had here last year as a rookie. How excited are you to join Dawand and maybe kind of follow in his footsteps in getting off to a great start as a rookie?

“Oh, yeah, that’s my dog. You know, Dawand, he just called me right before this. I mean, just, were talking about this the whole time, even with my formal, in my 30 day visit. You know, they’re just saying, like, man, if you get here, it’s over with. Like, you know, they’re the best duo, like offense, you know, offense defense wise. And we bring a lot of juice and practice, even at Ohio State. So I know it’s going to be, you know, ten times more at the next level, but really blessed to be able to play with my brother for life.”

 

Hey, Mike, I guess your teammates started calling you baby Aaron Donald pretty early on. Is that true? And I guess, what did that mean to hear that from them?

“I mean, I feel like that’s a, you know, that’s a great, you know, that’s a great comparison, for sure. You know, a lot of people can’t just be compared to that. So, you know, like, I mean, it just shows, you know, how my teammates are about me, but, you know, just greatly appreciative of them and just be around surrounded by guys, you know, that’s top of the top, best of the best, you know, in the country.”

 

Hey, Michael. Ashley Bastock from cleveland.com again, I think we ask every d lineman who gets drafted here about the opportunity to play with Myles Garrett. Just how much does that excite you, knowing the season he’s coming off of? And how excited are you to get a chance to pick his brain every day?

“Oh, yeah, no doubt. I mean, from day one, I’m definitely going to be learning whatever he does. And he’s just real aware of like – how does he get his body right? What does he eat? You know, what is he doing after practice? Just, you know, those guys, those vets, you know, they’re not vets for no reason. They’re not in this league, you know, playing multiple years back to back, having these great seasons, you know what I’m saying? So it’s just a great honor to be around somebody like that, andI got to come in and put my hard hat on from day one until, you know, whenever I leave.”

 

Michael, how much interaction did you have with Jim Schwartz in this whole process, either pro day or your visit here?

“Yeah, it was just really just my visit here. Coach Schwartz was – him and Coach Jacques (Cesaire) were on me. They weren’t on me, but they were just, you know, surrounded by me throughout the whole day. So, you know, just building a great relationship from that, from the beginning, it came genuine, came natural.”

 

Hey, Michael. I know, obviously, the Ohio State guys, there’s a bunch of guys that went back this next year. Were you tempted at all to go back and try to chase a championship with those guys? Like, how close did you actually come to that before you decide to go to the NFL?

“I kind of made my decision before the season started. I was pretty sure on that especially then when I had my son late in the year, that solidified it. You know, it wasn’t like I was tempted to go back. I mean, for sure. I mean, I feel like it’s still unfinished business, but, my card has to do what’s right for my family and it was just better for that, you know, in that way. I gotta. I can’t think about it as just me and personal – you know what I’m saying – preference. Gotta think about it as a whole.”

 

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