Hall is all over field for Titans
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By JEFF LEGWOLD
Staff Writer
How can a guy with 12 sacks in four years of college football get three in his first NFL contest, against a team that played in the NFC Championship game last season?
''That's a good question,'' Carlos Hall said. ''I really don't have an answer for you.''
He may need to find one over the next two months. Any thought the rookie defensive end had of easing into the NFL evaporated yesterday when Jevon Kearse broke a bone in his left foot. The three-time Pro Bowl selection will be out for up to eight weeks, leaving Hall to fill in.
Hall got off to a good start yesterday with the three sacks, a team-high seven tackles, two pass knockdowns and a forced fumble. He became only the second rookie to record three sacks in his first game (Cleveland's Chip Banks pulled off the feat against Seattle on Sept. 12, 1982).
Not bad for a seventh-round draft choice. Hall has as many sacks yesterday as he did his final two seasons combined at Arkansas.
''If he didn't know what's going to be expected of him before, he knows now,'' said defensive end Kevin Carter, who will probably face the double-teams Kearse used to draw. ''He's got speed, power and even though he didn't put up big numbers in college, you can see he's got talent.''
Hall did put up quality workout numbers before the draft, including a 42-inch vertical leap and good times in the drills that measure quickness, yet he was the 240th player selected. Most teams were put off by his lack of production with the Razorbacks, and he had some minor off-the-field trouble due to a traffic accident.
The Titans, however, liked the 6-foot-4, 251-pounder's quickness and believed he could be a prospect in their defensive system.
''I asked Carlos how he only had one sack last season,'' defensive tackle John Thornton said. ''I told him he cost himself a lot of draft money.''
Without Kearse, the Titans are down to three ends: Hall, Carter and Juqua Thomas, who was deactivated for yesterday's game.
''No one can be another Jevon,'' Hall said. ''He is the fastest defensive lineman in football. All I can do is try to fill in for him and do what I can to make some plays.''
While Carter faced multiple blockers, Hall battled 349-pound Eagles left tackle Tra Thomas most of the game. Hall had sacks during each of Philadelphia's last two possessions, as the Titans were trying to protect a 27-24 lead.
''He never missed a beat,'' Thornton said. ''There's only one Jevon, but Carlos came in and played well. He was pretty poised.''
Jeff Legwold covers the NFL for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 259-8352 or jlegwold@tennessean.com
