American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
. He was selected by the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
Millheim, Pennsylvania
Millheim is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 904 at the 2010 census. The Millheim Historic District, which includes 176 cont ...
, approximately 25 miles east of
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is a home rule municipality in Centre County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is a college town, dominated economically, culturally and demographically by the presence of the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania Sta ...
. He attended Penns Valley High School, where he played football under coach Martin Tobias. He was a three-year starter, serving as team captain and defensive captain as a senior. Hull was selected first-team all-conference on defense after his senior season and was a team captain in the 2006 Lezzer Lumber Classic. He was also a three-year letterman on the baseball team, earning first-team all-conference accolades as an outfielder.
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
when pre-season All-American
Sean Lee
Sean Patrick Lee (born July 22, 1986) is a former American football linebacker. He played his entire 11-year professional career with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Penn State, and was selected by the Cowboys in the second ...
suffered a season-ending knee injury in spring practice. Hull was the starter for all 13 games that season, finishing as the second leading tackler behind
NaVorro Bowman
NaVorro Roderick Bowman (born May 28, 1988) is a former American football linebacker who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the thi ...
interception
In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team ...
. He had a game-high nine tackles in the
2009 Rose Bowl
The 2009 Rose Bowl, the 95th edition of the annual game, was a college football bowl game played on Thursday, January 1, 2009 at the same-named stadium in Pasadena, California. Because of sponsorship by Citi, the first game in the 2009 edition ...
.
Hull was also recognized for academics while at Penn State. He was a member of the
Dean's List
A dean's list is an academic award, or distinction, used to recognize the highest level scholarship demonstrated by students in a college or university. This system is most often used in North America, though institutions in Europe, Asia, and Aust ...
and was named an Academic All-
Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
scholar-athlete, while majoring in environmental systems engineering. He was named a 2008 Academic
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n, and an inaugural recipient of a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award for the 2008-09 academic year.
Professional career
Hull played in the 4th Annual Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Challenge in
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...
, on February 6, 2010.
Pre-draft
Although not initially invited to the 2010
NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foo ...
, he was added to the list of invitees on January 29, 2010. Hull and teammate Dennis Landolt trained for the combine at TEST in
Martinsville, New Jersey
Martinsville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Bridgewater Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. based partially on the recommendation of his agent, Joe Aloisi and former Nittany Lion
Rich Ohrnberger
Richard Paul Ohrnberger (born February 14, 1986) is a sports news satirist and former American football offensive guard. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 123rd overall in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college footb ...
.
St. Louis Rams
Hull was drafted by the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
in the seventh round (#254 overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract with the Rams on June 28, 2010. Hull was released by the Rams on August 30, 2013.
Washington Redskins
The
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
signed Hull on October 15, 2013. He was released on April 5, 2014.
New England Patriots
On April 24, 2014, Hull signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots. Hull was waived by the team on July 28, 2014.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Hull signed with the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
on August 2, 2014. The Jaguars released Hull on August 24, 2014.