Max Hall (born October 1, 1985) is a former American
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) and
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
quarterback. After playing
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for
BYU
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...
, he was signed by the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 2010. Hall played in a total of six NFL games for the Cardinals. Hall spent 2012 as an assistant coach for
BYU
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...
. He then played the
2013 CFL season
The 2013 CFL season was the 60th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 56th season of the Canadian Football League.
The pre-season began on June 12, 2013 and the regular season began on June 27, 2013. Regina, Saskatchewa ...
for the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fiel ...
.
Early years
Hall went to the same high school as
John Beck, the quarterback he succeeded at BYU. As a junior in 2003, he earned the starting quarterback job for the
Mountain View High School Toros, and led the team to the Arizona state championship (14–0), earning MVP and offensive player of the year. As a senior in 2004 he led his team to another state title game only to lose the game in triple overtime (an Arizona 5A state record). He broke several Toro career passing records just two years after Beck had broken them. Hall was named the All-Arizona quarterback for his senior year by ''
The Arizona Republic
''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...
''.
College career
Hall redshirted at
Arizona State
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
in 2004. In 2006, after being sent home early from his
LDS
LDS may refer to:
Organizations
* LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah, US Religion
* Latter Day Saint movement (LDS movement), a collection of independent church groups
**The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest group within th ...
mission to
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
,
Hall transferred to
BYU
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...
and quarterbacked the scout team while sitting out the season.
In 2007,
John Beck's departure from BYU left a wide open competition for the starting quarterback position. Cade Cooper, a junior college transfer from
Snow College
Snow College is a public community college in Ephraim, Utah. It offers certificates and associate degrees in a number of areas, along with bachelor's degrees in music and software engineering and a four-year nursing program. Snow College is part ...
, and Brenden Gaskins, a junior college transfer from
Glendale Community College, joined Hall and Jacob Bower to compete for the position. Bower transferred to
Bakersfield College
Bakersfield College (BC) is a public community college in Bakersfield, California. BC serves about 22,000 students each semester or 31,000 annually, and offers Associate degrees, certificate programs, and is one of fifteen California Community C ...
soon after, and the competition came down to Hall and Cooper. Cooper suffered a season-ending injury in the annual Spring game. BYU head coach
Bronco Mendenhall
Marc Bronco Clay Mendenhall (born February 21, 1966) is an American football coach who most recently coached at The University of Virginia. He stepped down after the 2021 season. Mendenhall joined Virginia in 2015 after spending the previous elev ...
immediately named Hall as the starting quarterback and Gaskins as the backup for the
2007 season.
Hall was named first-team All-
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference (MW) is one of the collegiate athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) (formerly I-A). The MW officially began operations o ...
as a sophomore after throwing for 3,848 yards, 26 touchdowns, and only 12 interceptions. His 137.7 rating was the 21st best in BYU history, and the fifth best by a sophomore. His 3,848 yards ranked 8th in the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
and his 26 touchdown throws tied Hall for 22nd in the NCAA. His record in his first season as BYU starting quarterback was 11–2, with a
Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl victory over
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
.
On November 22, 2008 Hall was intercepted five times and lost one fumble, contributing to a 24–48 loss to the
University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
. After the game, he proclaimed that Utah didn't beat BYU but that BYU beat themselves. On September 5, 2009 Hall led his team to a win over then third-ranked
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, throwing for 328 yards and two touchdowns in a 14–13 victory. This performance garnered the Cougars a No. 9 ranking in the following AP poll. However, BYU was then beaten by
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
and
TCU TCU may stand for:
Education
* Tanzania Commission for Universities, regulatory body for Universities in Tanzania
* Texas Christian University, a private university in Fort Worth, Texas
** TCU Horned Frogs, the athletic programs of the school
* Tok ...
at home.
On December 1, 2009, Hall was named to the Mountain West Conference football All-Conference Second-team. On December 22, 2009, Hall led his team to a 44–20 win over 18th-ranked
Oregon State
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...
, completing 19 out of 30 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns to end his senior season.
Collegiate statistics
''Source'':
Professional career
Arizona Cardinals
After not being selected in the
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...
, Hall signed as an undrafted free agent with the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. In the preseason, Hall competed with
John Skelton John Skelton may refer to:
*John Skelton (poet) (c.1460–1529), English poet.
* John de Skelton, MP for Cumberland (UK Parliament constituency)
*John Skelton (died 1439), MP for Cumberland (UK Parliament constituency)
*John Skelton (American footb ...
, another rookie and a 5th round selection from
Fordham, for the third-string quarterback spot behind veterans
Derek Anderson and
Matt Leinart
Matthew Stephen Leinart (born May 11, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at USC, where he won the Heisman Trophy and ...
. On September 4, the Cardinals released Leinart and told Hall that he would be the primary backup quarterback behind Anderson for 2010.
While playing the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
on September 19, 2010, Hall relieved Anderson, throwing two passes for three yards and one interception. In an October 3 game against the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
, Anderson threw two interceptions and was taken out in favor of Hall. Hall completed 8 of his 14 passes for 82 yards.
On October 10, Hall was named the starting quarterback for the Cardinals, and won the first NFL game he started, against the defending
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champion
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
. He completed 17 of his 27 passes and passed for 168 yards and 0 touchdowns. He also threw 1 interception and fumbled twice. The Cardinals won the game 30–20. After this performance, Hall was named the Pepsi Rookie of the Week for Week 5.
On October 31, Hall threw his only career touchdown pass as an NFL quarterback against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The score came off of a 3-yard pass to
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald Jr. (born August 31, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. Fitzgerald played in the National Football League for 17 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at University of Pittsb ...
in the first quarter. Hall would be pulled in the second quarter though in favor of Derek Anderson. Hall would complete 8 of 16 passes passing for 71 yards with two interceptions.
Hall was waived/injured on August 24, 2011, and was reverted to
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
after passing through waivers unclaimed on August 25.
After being released by the Cardinals, Hall did not play professional football throughout the remainder of 2012.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
![Winnipeg Nov 2 2013 Max Hall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Winnipeg_Nov_2_2013_Max_Hall.JPG)
On April 8, 2013 the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fiel ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
announced they signed Hall for the
2013 season. Hall made his first CFL start on August 16, 2013 (Week 8) against the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...
. Hall got the start because of 'poor' play by both
Buck Pierce
Buck James Pierce (born November 15, 1981) is the offensive coordinator of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and a retired professional quarterback who played nine seasons for the BC Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He ...
and
Justin Goltz
Justin Goltz (born August 23, 1987) is a gridiron football quarterback who is retired. He played college football at Occidental College.
Goltz has also been a member of the Detroit Lions, Sacramento Mountain Lions, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. ...
. He completed 18 of 30 passing attempts for 241 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Hall went on to post a 1–8 record as a starter.
NFL career statistics
Coaching career
Hall served as a student assistant coach for
BYU
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...
in 2012. He currently serves as the varsity offensive coordinator at American Leadership Academy High School in Queen Creek, Arizona.
Personal
Hall is a nephew to
Danny White
Wilford Daniel White (born February 9, 1952) is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys and an American football coach in the Arena Football League. He has been the color commentator for Cowboys games on Compass Media Networks' ...
and grandson of
Wilford White
Wilford Parley "Whizzer" White (September 26, 1928 – August 1, 2013) was an American football halfback in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears. He also was a member of the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League. He wa ...
, ASU Hall-of-Famers. He is a second cousin to former
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
tight end
Todd Heap
Todd Benjamin Heap (born March 16, 1980) is a former American football tight end who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
After playing college football for Arizona State University, he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in ...
. Hall is married to Mckinzi Gissel, making him the brother-in-law-by-marriage of his BYU teammate and former Ravens' tight end,
Dennis Pitta
Dennis Gregory Pitta Jr. (born June 29, 1985) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at BYU, where he was a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Af ...
, who is married to Gissel's sister Mataya.
He is a member of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
.
On August 30, 2014, Gilbert police were called to the
Best Buy
Best Buy Co. Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebra ...
near Loop 202 and Williams Field Road about 11:30 a.m. after a store employee told police he saw Hall taking merchandise out of boxes and stuffing them in his backpack, according to the police report. Police found $286 worth of electronics inside Hall's backpack. Investigators also confiscated hypodermic needles, a metal spoon, a lighter and
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...
, stored in a pill bottle. Hall told police he had used the cocaine that morning. Hall immediately apologized to police and begged for forgiveness from the store's employees. He is quoted as saying, "I'm really sorry, I'll pay for the stuff. If I get arrested, I'll get fired. I've never done this before." On September 5, 2014, Hall was fired from his job as an offensive coordinator at Gilbert High School.
Max sustained several
concussions
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
in his NFL career, as well as other injuries, which lead to an addiction to
Analgesic
An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or pain management). It ...
. He attributes the 2014 incident at Best Buy to be his rock bottom, and has been clean since the incident.
See also
*
List of Division I FBS passing yardage leaders
References
External links
Arizona Cardinals bioBYU Cougars football bioRivals.com bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Max
1985 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Mesa, Arizona
Latter Day Saints from Arizona
Players of American football from Arizona
American football quarterbacks
Canadian football quarterbacks
American players of Canadian football
Arizona State Sun Devils football players
BYU Cougars football players
Arizona Cardinals players
Winnipeg Blue Bombers players
BYU Cougars football coaches