Probably his most unmatchable performance came during a game in which he touched the ball just nine times – twice handing off for touchdowns and running for seven. Legend has it that he never got his uniform dirty and, therefore, it didn't have to be washed that week.
Ken Hall still stays involvedin high school football.
Photo courtesy of All American Games, LLC
Longtime Houston Post sports writer Mickey Herskowitz recalled a 67-19 rout of Orchard during which Hall scored on the first two plays. He ran 80 yards for a touchdown, only to have it nullified by a penalty. On the very next play he ran 85 yards for a touchdown that did count.
Herskowitz said the referee called timeout, but nobody could figure out why until he told both coaches, "I called it for me. No. 31 was running me to death."
His biggest challenge probably came as an extremely shy sophomore when he had to fulfill his duty as co-captain to kiss the football sweetheart and present her a bouquet of flowers at homecoming. Her name was Gloria Ross and he had a huge crush on her. Still, she would not date him because he was two years younger.
"That night was kind of special," Hall said. "I got to give her a peck on the cheek."
To make a long story short, after six months he finally wore her down and they have been married for 52 years, have two sons and five grandchildren.
It should be pointed out that Hall also was outstanding in track. He won at least one state title in the 100-yard dash, long jump and shot put and the Gators twice won state team titles. He ran the 100 in 9.6 seconds, long jumped 23 feet and threw the shot 54 feet – all great numbers for that era. His 40-yard dash time of 4.3 seconds would make him an elite runner even today. As an adult he got his 100 time down to 9.4.
"I enjoyed track as much or more than football," he related.
He ran into a brick wall, however, when he attended Texas A&M University and came under the coaching of defensive-minded Paul "Bear" Bryant. Defense was not his forte and he never got much of a shot at offense. He calls his short time at A&M as probably the worst period of his life.
"He was graceful and a picture player," Herskowitz said. "John David Crow said if coach Bryant hadn't run off Kenneth Hall nobody would have heard of John David Crow. That probably cost A&M two national championships. He got run over a few times and that drove coach Bryant nuts. He just needed more experience on defense.
"Almost no one I saw play in college over the years electrified you like Kenneth did. If Kenneth had gone on to have a 10- or 12-year career in the NFL, he'd be in the (NFL) Hall of Fame and would be among the gold standard of running backs. Anybody who saw Kenneth Hall play feels that way about him."
Years later when Bryant was winning national titles at the University of Alabama, he sent Hall a letter apologizing for the way he was handled at A&M.
"I was pretty honored to get that letter," he said. "(He acknowledged) that all kids aren't alike, that you can't treat them all the same. It's old (news) now and we both learned something. I've still got the letter."
Still, Hall put in five years of professional football with Edmonton of the Canadian Football League, the Baltimore Colts, Chicago Cardinals, Houston Oilers and St. Louis Cardinals.
With the Oilers, he once scored on a spectacular 104-yard run.
However, injuries finally put an end to his pro career. His worst injury was a broken back with the Colts. But he also suffered seven broken ribs, two concussions, many hip pointers, a couple of broken fingers and his nose was broken seven times. The end result was, at the very least, loss of speed and agility.
After his playing career ended in 1961, Hall launched a 24-year career working in the sugar industry as a salesman and manager, with much of that time in California. At age 50 he bought and operated Ken Hall's Barbecue Place for 18 years in Fredericksburg, Texas, where he still lives today.
Though officially retired, Hall has many hobbies, many talents.
For example, he has produced more than 140 paintings. He was the color commentator for five years for Fredericksburg High School football games and has written articles for the weekly Fredericksburg Standard.
As an elder in the Memorial Presbyterian Church, Hall has worked for six years with CORE, a group of high school students who discuss such topics as religion, the Bible, other books and do community service projects.
Still a big fan of the game, Hall noted, "High school football today is huge. The game has changed dramatically. Football (the name of the game) and the size of the field are about the only things that haven't changed. These kids are so huge, fast and good."
Hall pointed out the proliferation of combines and 7-on-7 summer tournaments as the biggest additions he has seen in recent years.
His records may be in the past, but his eyes always look toward the future. For example, there are some projects that are stymied at this point. He wrote a book that teaches students how to study, but has not yet been able to get it published. He spent the good portion of a year helping to make a documentary film about his life, but is uncertain of its future.
Even at 75 he may be headed for a job in a surprising field. He was doing an audio interview for the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum when he was praised for his strong voice. Now he is doing demos that could lead to a total new career as a voice-over specialist.
"I'm working really hard now to do some of that," he said hopefully.
