THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407080265
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 25 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
BRYAN HALL has taken preparation and work ethic almost to the extreme.
As a freshman at Norfolk Catholic three years ago, the rising Green Run senior made the decision that football was the sport he wanted to concentrate all efforts in.
So he added concentration to his list of extremes.
With his goals in mind, Hall went to work at making major physical and mental changes.
He joined the Greenbrier Athletic Club and took up shop with personal trainer John Warner - also his mother's personal trainer.
``After that first year of football, I really started to get the taste of it,'' Hall said. ``But I got beat up a couple of times and realized that I had to get in shape if I wanted to be any good.
``So I started working out to get stronger and started changing my diet.''
Hall has shown impressive maturity in his four-year plan toward becoming a better football player.
``Definitely,'' Green Run coach Elisha ``Cadillac'' Harris said. ``I'd love to have 20 more like him.''
Hall reached a lofty plateau a few weeks ago when he left the Art Monk Redskins Football Camp as one of the top 30 players in a session of more than 200 players.
But what really sums up his accomplishments over the offseason is that he worked in the camp as a linebacker.
Hall played offensive guard his first year at Green Run last fall.
``I asked him to loose a little weight and work on his speed,'' Harris said. ``It looks like he has done that and more.''
At the Monk camp, Hall ran a 40-yard dash in 5.1 seconds, bettering his previous best by more than half a second. He's also dropped about 15 pounds down to about 225 and has increased his strength tremendously.
Hall spends three days a week at Greenbrier, shifting from weight lifting to plyometrics - a program to build stamina and explosiveness.
He also attends regular conditioning classes with his Stallions teammates several times a week. To keep his body lean, he limits his daily fat intake to 35 grams.
To top it all off, he shuffles in enough karate workouts to maintain his second degree black belt.
``This has all been a lot of work,'' Hall said. ``It's hard to not go to Taco Bell or go have a greasy hamburger with the guys. But I made up my mind at Catholic that I wanted to play football.
``I wanted to do it right.''
His senior season will be the final exam for his four years of dedicated work - the football field is his proving ground.
``Bryan showed a lot of potential last year,'' Harris said. ``It was a big adjustment moving from private school football to public school. He faced a different type of player and it was a rude awakening at times. But give him credit. He never backed off and kept working.
``I'd say that all indications are that he will be ready, but when August comes around, it's a whole different story. The heat and two-a-days are very different than what he's been doing.''
Because of his success at the Monk camp, Harris said he is going to look at Hall for a strong-side linebacker position even though his talents seem better suited for offensive guard.
``But he deserves a shot,'' Harris said. ``I'd like to think we can use him two ways, or as a spot player two ways to deepen the bench. We need to strengthen our defense and maybe he can be a factor.''
Harris has been overjoyed with the progress Hall has made. And to think he wasn't even supposed to play for Green Run.
When Catholic moved from Norfolk to Virginia Beach, Hall decided to give public school football a try. He lived in the Kempsville zone, but wanted to join the NJROTC program because of his desire to attend a military college. His father, Pat, attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.
But Kempsville didn't offer NJROTC and Green Run did.
``So we got a waiver and here I am,'' Hall said. ``I'm glad it has worked out this way. Coach Harris has been great and has been a real part of my progress.''
But the extremes have been all Hall. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Bryan Hall recently attended the Art Monk Redskins Football Camp and
was chosen among the top 30 players out of a group of more than 200.
Previously an offensive guard, Hall worked at linebacker.
by CNB