‘Never seen a smile so big’: Wichita native Breece Hall thrilled to join New York Jets
Shortly after the New York Jets selected Breece Hall in the second round of the NFL Draft last weekend, his former high school football coach reached out with some congratulatory words.
Hall, a star running back at Wichita Northwest and then Iowa State, was in Las Vegas for the momentous occasion, so they talked briefly via FaceTime when Hall was done posing for pictures with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and taking selfies with Jets fans.
The look on Hall’s face during that conversation is something Northwest coach Steve Martin won’t soon forget.
“I have never seen a smile so big,” Martin said.
Hall is officially on his way to the NFL as one of the highest draft picks to ever come out of Wichita. As the No. 36 overall selection he ranks behind only first-rounders Barry Sanders and Kamerion Wimbley in the past 33 years. Arthur Brown was Wichita’s most recent second-round pick in 2013.
It was time for Hall to celebrate.
“He is still a big kid at heart,” Martin said. “It’s really easy to get behind someone like that. My own kids look up to him. The first thing my daughter said when he got drafted was, ‘Looks like we have got to buy some Jets jerseys.’”
None of that came as a surprise for Hall. The 6-foot-1 and 220-pound ball-carrier has been working to reach the NFL since he carried the ball for the first time at Northwest. Then, when he twice earned consensus All-America honors while playing for the Cyclones, he set his sights on becoming one of the best football players his hometown produced ... ever.
NFL analysts seem to think he has a shot at excelling at the next level.
LaDainian Tomlinson proclaimed him to be the top running back in the 2022 NFL Draft. Fantasy football experts are also buzzing about his potential as a rookie.
Hall is used to that kind of praise, and blocking it out. He was mentioned as a Heisman candidate during his final year at Iowa State and leaned on his family to keep him focused on what matters most.
“Home keeps me humble and grounded,” Hall said last year. “It just has to do with the way I was brought up. I was never brought up to be one of those guys that fought over everything. I never thought I had to brag about anything. I am never satisfied. Everything that I’ve done so far has been good, but I know I have a lot more to do. I know I can maximize my full potential.”
Hall certainly has high expectations for himself with the Jets.
Here is what he told New York fans what they were getting shortly after he was picked:
“A three-down back, a guy who can catch the ball and make people miss or run you over,” Hall said. “I’m somebody who plays hard and a person who is just as good off the field as he is on the field. I’m a guy who is going to impact the community and be more than a football player.”
His ability to run routes and make difficult catches could help set him apart. Hall was blessed with enormous hands for a running back and insisted on making only one-handed catches during high school practices. Martin wasn’t always thrilled about that approach, but it helped him make some head-turning grabs with the Cyclones.
Many have suggested that Hall will split carries alongside Michael Carter in the Jets’ backfield next season. While that is the most likely scenario, Martin learned long ago not to set any limitations on Hall.
“Don’t count him out,” Martin said. “That’s all I say. When he was with us, there were times where plays were dead in the water and he would make something out of nothing. He is just an electric football player. You always know that if he has the ball in his hands he has a chance to score.”