On the biggest stage in football, Derick Hall picked the perfect time to have the game of his life.
The former Auburn standout made his presence felt early and often in Super Bowl LX, delivering a performance that reminded everyone why he was once one of the SEC’s most feared pass rushers. And when the lights were brightest, Hall didn’t blink - he brought the pressure.
In the first quarter, Hall got things rolling with a sack on Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye, halting a promising New England drive before it could gain traction. It was a tone-setting moment, the kind of play that injects confidence into a defense and puts a young quarterback on notice: it’s going to be a long night.
But Hall wasn’t done.
Late in the third quarter, with Seattle already holding a 12-0 lead, Hall turned up the heat again. This time, he didn’t just get to Maye - he made the kind of impact play that swings momentum.
Hall came off the edge, beat his man clean, and punched the ball loose as he brought Maye down. The ball hit the turf, and Byron Murphy II - the former Texas defensive lineman - was right there to pounce on it.
That strip sack was more than just a highlight-reel moment. It gave Seattle prime field position, and they didn’t waste it. A few plays later, Sam Darnold found tight end AJ Barner in the end zone, extending the Seahawks’ lead to 19 and putting serious pressure on the Patriots to respond.
For Hall, it was a breakout moment in a season where he hadn’t exactly been filling up the stat sheet. He came into the Super Bowl with just two sacks on the year. But on Sunday night, with a championship on the line, he showed the kind of explosive potential that made him a force at Auburn from 2019 to 2022.
It’s one thing to make plays in the regular season. It’s another to deliver in the Super Bowl - and Hall delivered in a big way.