Iowa junior TJ Hall makes Don Patterson proud by earning starting cornerback position
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Even though he grew up in California and his father played wide receiver for Western Illinois, TJ Hall had a connection to the Iowa football program, and with that came respect and admiration.
The connection was former Iowa offensive coordinator Don Patterson, who was the head coach for Western Illinois when TJ Hall’s father, Terrance Hall, played for the Leathernecks in 2002 and 2003.
The Iowa coaches were interested in recruiting TJ Hall after he had de-committed from both Arizona and Washington. But Iowa doesn’t recruit much in California, so Kirk Ferentz and his staff wanted to know if TJ would have a mutual interest.
After speaking with TJ’s father, Patterson assured the Iowa coaches that TJ would be interested in being a Hawkeye, and that was the start of a relationship that would ultimately lead to TJ Hall signing with Iowa in 2022.
TJ Hall now enters his third season as a Hawkeye having earned the starting position at left cornerback. He will make his first start as a Hawkeye in Saturday’s season opener against Illinois State at Kinnick Stadium.
“(Iowa) had a concern about going all the way to California to recruit a guy and they didn’t want to do so unless they had a definite chance to sign him,” Patterson said. “Is he really open minded about where he’s going to school.
“So, I just simply called (his father) and he said, ‘coach I know this sounds a little bit crazy, but he has always liked the idea of going to Iowa because he has known since he was a little kid that my dad played in the Iowa offense.”‘
Terrance Hall didn’t just play in the Iowa offense while playing for Patterson at Western Illinois, he thrived in it as a star receiver.
Patterson spent 20 seasons as an Iowa assistant coach under Hayden Fry from 1979 to 1998, including serving as the offensive coordinator for the final 10 seasons.
Patterson was then hired as the head coach for Western Illinois in 1999 and he would go on to have great success by running an offense that was very similar to what Fry ran at Iowa.
TJ Hall knew that his father had become a star in Patterson’s offense, and that caused TJ to become a fan of the Hawkeyes despite growing up in Fresno, California.
“I know it sounds kind of strange, but TJ has always kind of called Iowa his team,” Patterson said.
TJ Hall know has the advantage of playing for arguably the top defensive coordinator in college football in Phil Parker, who also coaches the Iowa defensive backs.
Patterson learned on Tuesday that TJ Hall had earned the starting competition in what was a hotly contested battle with sophomores John Nestor and Deshaun Lee, a battle that is still ongoing.
“I’m proud of him a little bit like an uncle would be proud of his nephew,” Patterson said. “He’s not family, but he feels like family. He’s definitely football family.”
The challenge for TJ Hall moving forward will be to hang on to the starting position. He has played in 19 games as a Hawkeye, mostly on special teams.
Kirk Ferentz was asked at his weekly press conference on Tuesday what gives the 6-foot-1, 187-pound TJ Hall the edge at this point.
“Probably the consistency,” Kirk Ferentz said. “It’s gone back and forth. It’s a little like the running back position. Difference is most of those guys have been available, the four corners have been competing and practicing. Probably a little consistency thing, but it’s still really close.
“We have a lot of positions right now where we’ve got to start somewhere Saturday and start somewhere this week when we practice with our first team. I will say this, it won’t surprise me, especially in certain groups, where it may take a month to figure out like where we’re at.”
Patterson is retired from coaching and lives in Iowa City.
He enjoys attending Iowa’s practices, partly because of the interactions with the players.
TJ Hall always makes it a point to chat with Patterson before leaving the practice field.
“TJ always checks in if he sees me out there,” Patterson said. “He always stops by.
“We have a really healthy relationship, not that I spend a lot of time with him. But the thing that reassured the mom and dad, (TJ) knows I’m a very short phone call away.”
Patterson was confident that TJ Hall would have success as a Hawkeye, partly because of how he was raised by his parents.
“I know the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, Patterson said. “I’m just happy for TJ, and for his parents.”
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