Months of rehab and patiently waiting served as a reminder that DeAngelo Hall can still be a top-tier cornerback. Thursday marked his return to the field.
The swagger is still there and the resume is already among the best ever for anyone at his position.
The question now for DeAngelo Hall, who is showing some gray hairs these days, is whether or not he can come back from a devastating season-ending injury suffered last season.
After spending a majority of the offseason on the sideline learning defensive coordinator Joe Barry's scheme from afar, along with serving in the defensive backs leadership role he took on years ago, Hall said today's the day he'll get to test out his surgically-repaired Achilles that was torn twice in a two-month span.
"Today I'll be starting out there with the ones and getting just as many reps as I want," he said. "We'll just kind of monitor it day-by-day and just see how my body responds and how I feel."
Hall entered the 2014 season fresh off a 2013 campaign in which he recorded four different touchdowns and a career-high 95 tackles.
But, after awkwardly going down with what was later revealed as an Achilles tear Week 3 last season, Hall had to watch as his teammates endured a difficult season, especially on the defensive side.
"It was frustrating, definitely frustrating," Hall said. "But everything happens for a reason. Those guys struggling, they got a chance to learn from that, get some experience. And I think as a whole, we got a chance to get another guy in here in Chris Culliver who can make plays and dominate. And so, obviously painful to watch, you know the end result having Culliver, myself, [Bashaud] Breeland, [David] Amerson, you know, having all those guys back there as far as corners, D-Gold [Dashon Goldson] and J.J. [Jeron Johnson], [Duke] Ihenacho back there, Duke, it's one of the most talented secondaries I've been around. I can't wait to get out there and play with these guys."
Hall joked about the talent each player brings to the unit, saying he'd have to "write out a dissertation" to explain what they can do collectively.
Washington Redskins CB DeAngelo Hall has had a sensational start to the 2013 season, putting together a Pro-Bowl caliber resume on defense.
Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall makes a tackle on Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant. Hall held Bryant to just 36 yards receiving on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013 in Arlington, TX.
Hall runs stride for stride with Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, Hall was all over Bryant who only had five catches on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013 in Arlington, TX.
Hall celebrates with quarterback Robert Griffin III after his 17-yard pick-six on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013 in Landover, Md.
Cornerback DeAngelo Hall picks off quarterback Peyton Manning in the third quarter for a 26-yard pick-six on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013, in Denver.
Redskins cornerback makes a shoestring tackle on Denver's wide receiver Demaryius Thomas Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013, in Denver. Hall finished the day with four tackles, three pass defections, two interceptions and a touchdown.
DeAngelo Hall records his second touchdown of the season vs. the Lions with his first pick-six of the season on a 17-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Cornerback DeAngelo Hall celebrates after his second interception vs. the Broncos which made it his third of the season and his first interception he has not returned for a touchdown this year.
Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall makes an outstanding interception, taking the ball away from receiver Demaryius Thomas and keeping himself in bounds near the sideline.
Hall runs into the endzone after recovering a fumble and returning it 75 yards for a touchdown, this season Hall has three touchdowns which is a Redskins record.
DeAngelo Hall matched up against one of the best wide receivers in the NFL Calvin Johnson.
Hall returns his second interception of the season for a touchdown vs. Denver, Hall is fourth on the team in scoring with three touchdowns.
Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall tips a pass away from Cowboys receiver Miles Austin, stopping a sure touchdown catch on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013 in Arlington, TX.
Cornerback DeAngelo Hall gets his second touchdown of the season and first interception of the 2013 season for the first score of the game vs. the Lions in the first quarter.
But there's nothing funny about what the secondary can do if they're all clicking.
"I think everybody wants to be a starter, but I think everybody also understands the bigger picture and the more guys we have that are champing at the bit to get out there on the field and pushing the other guys, the better we're going to be as a whole," he said. "I don't think any teams have went through a season and not had an injury in the secondary. You're doing so much running and moving around. I think it just gives us the ability, if something happens, bam. Next guy up. I feel like the next guy up's gonna be able to make just as many plays, if not more than the guy who's in front of him. It just gives us a lot more ability to do things."
Perhaps no one move was more important to the group this offseason than Chris Culliver, who is expected to battle one-on-one with the game's top wide receivers all season long.
"He's going to give us invaluable experience from playing in playoff games and Super Bowls and things like that," Hall said. "He's a guy who can make a lot of plays for us, now. I was excited to get him, I wanted [Aqib] Talib a couple years ago, so as a corner, you never don't want another great corner on your team, cause you know that's gonna give you more opportunities to make plays."
Possible move to safety?Hall has said a few times in the past that he could add length to his career by playing some free safety.
He certainly has the athletic ability, and few understand the game on an X's and O's level the way he does.
But, at least for now, he's still all-in at cornerback.
"Yeah, it's still in the back of my head," he said. "You know, we got some pretty good safeties now, so the need for me to go there, probably isn't as demanding now as it would have been in years past, but it's something we definitely floated around, the ability and go out and play wherever they need me to play, whether that's safety or at corner, slot, I'm gonna do what I need to do."
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