Hall gets the call to Shorter
Linebacker Tanner Hall spent last season getting the calls in from the sideline on defense.
He recently answered another football-related call, one that had information about his newest assignment.
The Heritage senior will be joining the football program at Shorter University in Rome after signing with the Division II Hawks in a ceremony this past Wednesday.
“I’ve been playing football since I was five years old and it’s starting to sink in just a little bit,” he said about Signing Day. “I’m just ready to hit the field, to be honest with you. I’m ready to play at the next level. It really means a lot to me that (Shorter) Coach (Zach) Morrison is giving me this opportunity.”
The 6-foot, 205-pounder said he was being recruited with the idea of playing either linebacker, strong safety, or a hybrid combination of the two and Generals’ head coach E.K. Slaughter has all the confidence that Hall can do just that.
“I think he’s got the size to play multiple positions,” Slaughter explained. “Plus, he’s the kind of kid that’s going to work hard and give himself every opportunity to get on the field, so I’m excited to see what he does.”
Hall has been making the most of his opportunities on the field at Heritage, playing in two games as a sophomore before entrenching himself as a starter the past two seasons.
He played in 23 games total, 21 in the last two seasons, and finished with 72 career solo tackles, 12 assists, nine tackles for loss and eight sacks to go with three picks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
As a senior, Hall made 43 tackles with five going for a loss, three sacks and one interception.
“It’s close to home, which is what I like a lot,” he said of his future school. “They’re really the only school that gave me a big opportunity like this, so I’m going to give them 110 percent every single day, in the weight room and on the field, to prove myself and give them a reason why they recruited me.”
“He was a great player for us, and a great person and leader for us,” Slaughter continued. “He was kind of the quarterback of the defense and he got everybody lined up. He knew the game plan and he just did a great job. He’ll definitely be missed.”
The coach added that it’s always special for the Heritage program to have another player go on to the next level.
“It’s always great to see these guys go on and further their careers,” he said. “Now we can be Shorter fans and pull for them for the next few years.”
Hall said he is considering sports management or management as a major.
The annual Chick-fil-A 5K Trojan Run and 1-mile Walk will be held Apr. 27 in Chickamauga. Registration will start at 7 a.m. with the race beginning at 9.
Entry fee for runners is $25 (pre-registration) or $30 on race day, while it will be $20 for walkers (pre-registration) or $25 on race day. Registration can be done online at https://endurancecui.active.com/event-reg/ select-race?e=88328411. All proceeds will go to benefit the running programs at Gordon Lee High School.
For more information, contact David Tindell at 423-242-8204 or david.tindell@glschools.org.
The second annual Rick Wilson Memorial Golf Tournament, presented by the Gordon Lee Trojan Club, will be held on Monday,
The Ridgeland High School Athletic Hall of Fame will host their fifth annual Vonn Bell Awards and Ridgeland Hall of Fame induction ceremony and banquet on May 18, 2024. The event will take place at 6 p.m. at Ridgeland High School.
The banquet and ceremony will include dinner, induction of the fifth class of the Ridgeland Athletic Hall of Fame and presentation of the Vonn Bell Awards.
Tickets and tables will be sold to the public beginning Friday, April 12. Individual tickets will be $35, or tables of eight can be purchased for $275.
To purchase tickets to the banquet, call the front office at (706) 820-9063. For other questions, contact Darla Cole at darlacole@ walkerschools.org.