A Special Shrine Salute to 
Chris Hall


  Chris sent us some new photos of he and his coach showing off their championship rings. Chris told us that the very large ring rubbed in between his fingers where the Shriner’s did his surgery. That reminded us that he would not even be able to wear the ring at all, if not for your organization. Thanks again to the Shriners. Chris is a rising junior at EKU and hopes to add at least 2 more rings to his collection.

Chris Hall, LB @ Tuscola HS / Waynesville NC is a Shriner Kid. at age 3 he had both of his hands operated on at the Greenville Shriners Hosp. His Goal is to make this years Shrine-Bowl team. We understand that there have been other Shriner Kids who have made the team. Could you tell us who they were and when, they should be recognized for this accomplishment. We very much appreciate the wonderful care given Chris by this great organization.

Recent pictures of Chris Hall / Tuscola Shriner Kid.
 Chris is # 35 210lbs.
Currently a Linebacker at Eastern Kentucky University.

Sports

Firefighting, football lead Hall to EKU

By Nathan Hutchinson/Register Sports Editor

Even before he had finished his junior year of high school, Chris Hall was already seriously considering going to school at Eastern Kentucky University.

But it wasn't football that first peaked the 6-foot-4 220-pound standout linebacker's interest in EKU. It was the school's fire science and technology program.

"My brother is a firefighter, so I kind of got interested in that," Hall said. "So I figured I would go to school for that, then they contacted me about three months ago right before school ended. I figured that's where I wanted to be."

Hall attended a camp in Richmond last month and on June 25 the rising senior at Tuscola High School in Waynesville, N.C. officially committed to play football at EKU.

Hall led the Mountaineers in tackles in 2003 and helped them to a 9-2 record and a berth in the state playoffs.

Hall had six sacks and more than 120 tackles last year.

The linebacker was contacted by a number of Division I-A schools, including Duke and Virginia, but decided to commit early to the Colonels.

The school's fire science program and the chance to make a impact on the program right away made the final choice a relatively easy one for Hall.

"I wanted to go a to school where I at least had the chance to play," Hall said. "I didn't want to go a to Division I-A school and get redshirted and sit on the bench my whole career."
 
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ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES.COM

Special-needs students cheer Tuscola's Hall during signing
By Jacob Messer
STAFF WRITER
February 3, 2005 6:00 am
WAYNESVILLE - A smile stretched across Chris Hall's face Wednesday when he walked into Tuscola High School's special-needs classroom for his press conference.

To his surprise, all of the special-needs students were wearing gray Eastern Kentucky University sweatshirts or T-shirts in honor of Hall and the college where he will attend college and play football.

"That," Hall said later, "was a great feeling."

Hall was happy to have the special-needs students, whom he has befriended and vice versa since he became a teacher's aide in their classroom at the beginning of the school year, on hand for one of the most important moments in his life.
Wearing a maroon Eastern Kentucky University hat and a matching white T-shirt, Hall sat at a table between his parents Wednesday morning inside the special-needs classroom. His former high school coach, his brother, his high school coach and his middle school coach stood behind him.

With his friends and relatives watching, Hall signed his national letter-of-intent with the Colonels.

"I'm glad I'm going to play at the next level," Hall said. "I'm grateful for that opportunity."

Hall, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, likely will start his career with the Colonels at linebacker but likely will finish it at defensive end and could see time at tight end. He played all three positions for Tuscola.

"I will tell you one thing about him, he is loyal," Eastern Kentucky University football coach Danny Hope said of Hall, who collected more than 100 tackles and blocked six kicks or punts in his final season with the Mountaineers. "A lot of schools came after him after he made his commitment, but he stuck with us.

"He is a great kid and a heck of a football player. He loves to play the game. You watch him on film, and he is very reckless. That is a good quality in a football player."

Nathan James, one of the special-needs students, had a photo taken with Hall after the ceremony, then locked him in a bearhug that would have made Hulk Hogan proud.

"He's nice," James said of Hall. "He's my friend."

A Future Teachers of America member, Hall spends the final hour of each school day in the special-needs classroom helping the special-needs students get ready to go home, taking them to the bathroom and leading them to the buses.

"He's cool," said senior Daniel Sorrells, another one of the special-needs students. "He helps us."

As a result of his experience, which he said has made him more grateful for his mental and physical health, Hall might pursue a career in special education.

Tuscola special-needs teacher Cindy Early thinks Hall would do well in that profession. His relationship with the special-needs students proves it.

"He treats them like they are his equal," Early said. "He treats them like teenagers. He doesn't treat them like babies."

"It's a mutual respect," she added. "He respects them, and they respect him."

The special-needs students welcome Hall, who also is a volunteer firefighter, into the cafeteria each morning after he and Tuscola football coach Travis Noland finish their morning workouts.

"It's like the president walking in there," Noland said. "They love him."

And Hall loves them, too.