One of the most interesting stories of the entire NFL offseason might belong to new Chicago Bears wide receiver Emanuel Hall. On the surface, he looks like a classic draft oversight. A highly talented player out of Missouri with 4.39 speed who averaged over 20 yards per catch for his college career. Yet for some reason he went undrafted.
This despite projections that he could go as high as the 3rd or even 2nd round. Despite comparisons to former Pro Bowler Mike Wallace. Despite game film that showed a player with tons of promise. Teams always draft somebody like that. They didn’t with Hall and the Bears were able to reap the rewards by signing him as a college free agent.
On the surface, the general belief is Hall fell partially because of his rawness as a route runner. However, most believe it was his health issues. He missed three games in 2017 and another five games last year. What people don’t know is exactly what he put himself through to help his team.
Chicago Bears wide receiver Emanuel Hall played through pain and personal loss
Back in September of 2018, Hall had sky high hopes for the 2018 season. He felt he was one of the best receivers in the country after posting 817 yards and eight touchdowns in just 10 games the previous year. He had a future high draft pick in Drew Lock as his QB. Things were looking up.
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Then in Week 3 of the season against Purdue, he suffered a bad groin injury. For any player, this is never a good thing. It’s particularly bad for a wide receiver where running is central to their success. He could’ve easily shut himself down to heal.
Instead? Hall decided to gut it out. His head coach Barry Odom described to Power Mizzou just what it was like each week for him to try to play.
“Every time that he got really to full speed, there was a pain level that he felt like whatever muscle, whatever tendon, whatever ligament was about to shred. I don’t know how you say that in a medical report. There are some things he did just on grit alone that he will never get enough respect for.”
Despite playing two fewer games than the year before, Hall still had more yards with 828. An incredible feat given not only the physical pain he felt, but the added emotional one that struck just one month after the injury.
Hall’s father died in October of that same year
If that weren’t a testament to his mental fortitude, then people will be shocked to learn that Hall returned to play through pain that season despite the unexpected death of his father in October. It wasn’t actually injury that caused him to miss a couple of those games, but attending the funeral.
“It’s been the toughest year of Hall’s life. Aside from the groin injury that sidelined him for the previous four games, he’s been dealing with the death of his father, Daton Hall, who passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 11.”
After all that, Hall returned to his team on November 3rd against Florida. There he helped kickstart a four-game winning streak after they went 1-of-5 without by posting 77 yards and a touchdown. Proof that Hall is as tough as they come, and now more motivated than he’s ever been in his life after no team placed the phone call in the NFL draft.
