Deiondre’ Hall, a defensive standout for the UNI Panthers, had his named called in the National Football League draft on Saturday (April 30, 2016). Hall was picked 127th overall in the fourth round, taken by the Chicago Bears.

Hall becomes the second defensive back drafted in UNI history, the first since Ty Talton went to the Detroit Lions in the fifth round in 1999. The Blue Springs, Mo., native garnered national attention this year for his versatility on the defensive side of the ball and athleticism that makes him a danger to opposing wide receivers and quarterbacks.

Photo By; Elwin Huffman - Waterloo Broadcasting
Photo By; Elwin Huffman - Waterloo Broadcasting
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Hall earned a spot at the 2016 Reese’s Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine, marking the second consecutive year that UNI has been represented at the two NFL prospect showcases. The senior was one of seven student-athletes from the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) at the Senior Bowl, where he finished with five tackles, the third-most for the North Team.

Hall finished his career at UNI with 241 tackles, including 16.0 for loss of yards, three sacks, 15 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, 13 interceptions and three blocked kicks. His 13 picks ranks him No. 5 all-time as a Panther, running four back for touchdowns for the UNI record in pick-sixes.

In 2015, Hall racked up 82 tackles and a league-high six interceptions. He earned MVFC Defensive Player of the Year and All-MVFC first-team honors, along with College Sports Madness, STATS, AP, AFCA, Walter Camp and ADA All-America first-team.

Hall goes down as the 18th player drafted into the NFL in UNI history and the sixth player drafted under the direction of head coach Mark Farley.


UNI In The Draft
1966 - Randy Schultz, RB | Cleveland Browns | 5th round, 74th pick
1966 - Doug Korver, OL | Atlanta Falcons | 18th round, 261st pick
1968 - Ray Pedersen, OL/DL | Baltimore Colts | 17th round, 458th pick
1976 - Bill Salmon, QB | Minnesota Vikings | 10th round, 289th pick
1976 - Mike Timmermans, OL | Green Bay Packers | 17th round, 440th pick
1982 - Steve Sandon, QB | New England Patriots | 11th round, 296th pick
1990 - Bryce Paup, LB | Green Bay Packers | 6th round, 159th pick
1991 - James Jones, DL | Cleveland Browns | 3rd round, 57th pick
1993 - Kenny Shedd, WR | New York Jets | 5th round, 129th pick
1997 - Dedric Ward, WR | New York Jets | 3rd round, 88th pick
1999 - Ty Talton, DB | Detroit Lions | 5th round, 137th pick
2000 - Brad Meester, OL | Jacksonville Jaguars | 2nd round, 60th pick
2001 - Eddie Berlin, WR | Tennessee Titans | 5th round, 159th pick
2002 - Ryan Hannam, TE | Seattle Seahawks | 5th round, 169th pick
2008 - Chad Rinehart, OL | Washington Redskins | 3rd round, 96th pick
2008 - Brandon Keith, OL | Arizona Cardinals | 7th round, 225th pick
2015 - David Johnson, RB |Arizona Cardinals | 3rd round, 86th pick
2016 - Deiondre’ Hall, DB | Chicago Bears | 5th round, 127th pick

 

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