He has been hiding in plain sight. For the last three years, Glynn Academy linebacker Hunter Hall has moved through opposing offenses like a guided missile to bring down ball-carriers.
“It’s hard to pick just one part of the game that I like the most but if I had to pick just one I would say it’s the roar of the crowd on a Friday night after I make the big play,” he said.
And Hunter Hall has made a lot of big plays.
In the state playoffs as a freshman, Hall broke through the line and made a perfectly-timed leap to block the opposing team’s extra-point attempt in overtime. The Red Terrors would go on to defeat Drew High School 35-34.
Then there was the 2015 season in which the Terrors made it to the state championship in the Georgia Dome.
“I had 11 tackles, two forced fumbles and two sacks and was playing on national TV,” he said.
Then a sophomore, Hall was awarded player of the week for his efforts.
“Hunter’s one of the toughest players that I have ever coached,” said Glynn Academy Coach Rocky Hidalgo. “He is just a throwback player – gritty, hard-nosed with great instincts. He plays with incredible passion and is a truly great role model for the rest of our players.”
While his exploits on the field are outstanding, so are Hall’s efforts in the classroom, where he carries a 3.6 grade point average and is a member of the Glynn Academy BETA club, National Society of High School Scholars, National Honor Society and the Honor Youth leaders in 2016.
“By me having good grades in the classroom I do not have to take any of my practice time to work on my studies so in turn I can focus on the game and my jobs on the field,” he said.
Hall hasn’t made up his mind as to where he will go next fall. He knows he wants to study in the medical field so that he may one day become a sports physical therapist. He also plans on playing football collegiately. While he has long been a favorite of the Red Terror faithful, it has taken until his senior year to attract the attention of college scouts. This spring, Hall’s name started popping up in online recruiting discussions and several schools started looking at him.
“I just recently received an offer from the University of West Georgia,” he said. “I also have a lot of interest coming in from Army, Georgia Southern and Kennesaw State.”
The 5’11” 200-pound senior plays both football and baseball for the Red Terrors. He benches 275 pounds, squats 500 and power cleans 265. This summer he was clocked at 4.6 in the 40 yard dash. He will play a dual role this season as he will play running back in Coach Rocky Hidalgo’s offense along with his usual position of inside linebacker.
“When I am on the field and the other team breaks the huddle the first thing that goes on in my head is to read the formation so I can make my strength call and audible if needed,” he said.
The son of Kevin and Crystal Hall of Brunswick, Hunter started playing football when he was eight-years-old at the Glynn County Recreation Department. Then came football at Risley Middle School with current teammate, Glynn Academy quarterback Randon Jernigan.
He started making a name for himself as soon as he stepped on a high school football field. He became a varsity starter during the fourth game of his freshman year when Glynn Academy Coach Hidalgo sent him in against the Coffee County Trojans. He was all of 155-pounds at the time but had 15 tackles in the game.
He was an Honorable Mention on the All-Region team his freshman year, a feat he repeated his sophomore season along with an Honorable Mention on the Georgia All-State team. Last year as a junior, Hall was first team All-Region 2-AAAAAA as a linebacker.
“I would say the high point of last season was when we were named the region champions for the first time since 1972 and end the year with 291 career varsity tackles,” he said.
Over the summer he concentrated on speed and agility drills with lots of footwork. He also worked on conditioning to prepare himself for playing both offense and defense this year. He credits Coach Hidalgo and GA Defensive Coordinator Josh Veal for helping him develop as a player. He also credits his dad for helping him become a well-rounded person and team leader.
Since moving to the varsity level, Hall has steadily improved in his skills at linebacker. Reading plays, filling gaps and covering the pass.
“I feel that I have always worked hard and studied the game to get where I am now,” he said.
Soon Hall will move on to the next level, representing Glynn Academy and Southeast Georgia in college where the roar of the crowd get even bigger.
SE-AA-0817-Hall
Hunter Hall
Glynn Academy
By Rob Asbell
Photography by Michael Brinson
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