National Football League

Eagles WR Hall capitalizing on military experience

Published Aug. 17, 2010 2:47 p.m. ET

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He learned to be precise. He learned to prepare more diligently than everybody else. And he learned to work with a team toward a common goal.

All the things Chad Hall is engaged in this summer at Philadelphia Eagles training camp he already experienced over the last two years - and quite far from the football field.

Hall, one of the biggest surprises of camp, finished his college career at Air Force in 2007 and spent the last two years as a maintenance officer and second in command with the 421st fighter squadron, part of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base near Ogden, Utah.

Unable to play for two years, Hall served his military commitment repairing and maintaining the Air Force's largest fleet of combat-ready F-16 Fighting Falcon jets.

''It really is a lot like football,'' Hall said. ''Be accountable, make sure you prepare, trust that others are doing their jobs. There are a lot of similarities. You don't care who gets the credit, you just work together for a common goal.''

Hall was the 2007 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year after rushing for 1,478 yards and catching 50 passes for 524 more yards. But he had to serve a minimum 24-month commitment just to apply for early release from the Air Force.

He loved the work, saying he ''always wanted to be around jets,'' but desperately missed football.

''It was tough,'' Hall said. ''Real tough not playing football for two years. It was especially hard watching the game and knowing I wasn't able to play. We had squadron sports, and I played squadron basketball and stuff like that, but obviously it's not the same. I just kept working hard, kept pushing and hoping that one day I'd have a chance to prove myself.''

Hall got that chance this spring when he was invited to work out for the Eagles, and they liked what they saw from the speedy 5-foot-8 hybrid tailback/receiver/returner.

Hall made the most of his first football game in 32 months in the Eagles' 28-27 preseason win over Jacksonville on Friday night.

He compiled 82 yards of offense after halftime, including a 57-yard catch from rookie quarterback Mike Kafka and a 22-yard run from scrimmage to go with two punt returns for 14 yards and three kick returns for 63 yards.

''I thought when given the opportunity, he could play all of the positions: running back, receiver and the return game,'' head coach Andy Reid said. ''I thought he excelled in all of them. ... He had a productive day.''

Hall knows he'll need many more productive days to survive final roster cuts later this month. As a 24-year-old undrafted rookie who's shorter than most of the Eagles' ball boys and plays two positions where the team is well stocked, Hall knows he faces long odds.

''I've always felt like I've had to outwork everybody to accomplish what I've accomplished so far,'' Hall said. ''I'll always have that edge mentally, that I have to keep pushing, I can't take breaks.

''Height and size are God-given. You can't control those. But you can control how hard you work. Just go with what you've got, and dream big.''

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