In The Game: What year did you graduate high school?
Keith Hall: I graduated in 1978 as the last graduating class from Moultrie High School, which is now known as Colquitt County High School.
ITG: Did you play any sports?
KH: I played football all four years of high school.
ITG: What position did you play?
KH: Mainly linebacker, but sometimes tight end, quarterback, wide receiver, and strong safety.
ITG: What size were you?
KH: As a senior year I weighed 172 pounds, and I was six feet tall. ITG: What do you remember most about football during your years at Moultrie High?
KH: Probably the relationships with my teammates, because we played all the way through together. And of course the coaching staff, especially Bud Willis.
ITG: What was the most memorable game for you?
KH: The one against Thomas County Central during my senior year. They had just joined the region and had a great season the year before. They were a really tough team, and we beat them in a close game.
ITG: What were your plans after graduating?
KH: I knew I wanted to play college football… it was my dream. College recruiters would come to the school, so I got introduced to a lot of them by the coaches, but no recruiters were really looking at me so I started looking at schools myself.
ITG: What made you decide on the University of Georgia?
KH: Initially, I looked at small schools. I thought about Florida State because I liked their program, and I visited Troy State. Eventually I decided that UGA was where I wanted to be, and I don’t regret that at all.
ITG: How did you prepare to play football as a walk-on?
KH: The summer before I got up at 5:30 every morning to lift weights and then went to work in the fields with my dad. I conditioned, too.
ITG: How did your first season go?
KH: It was much more difficult, because in high school coaches knew who I was. At UGA, the coaches just didn’t care who I was. I played on the JV team, and in the spring I led the team in sacks, so I had a good season.
ITG: How did you decide to play the next year?
KH: At the end of the season Coach Dooley had individual meetings with each player. He told me he wanted me to come back, so I did. I wasn’t offered a scholarship, though.
ITG: When did you receive your scholarship?
KH: Sophomore year I blocked a punt at practice during the week of our game against Virginia. Coach Dooley immediately stopped the practice, walked over to me, and said “Hall, I’ve been watching you for a long time, and you just earned your scholarship.”
ITG: How did you react?
KH: I pulled my helmet off and fell on my face, thanking God. I mean, that was my dream. It was an incredible experience, and all the teammates and I celebrated like we had just won a game.
ITG: What was it like playing with Herschel Walker?
KH: He was a good guy, and an incredible athlete.
ITG: Did you ever get a chance to go against him in practice?
KH: Oh absolutely… every day.
ITG: Did you ever tackle him?
KH: I did, but it wasn’t easy.
ITG: What point in the season did you realize the team could win the National Championship?
KH: Definitely the 1980 Georgia-Florida game... With 90 seconds on the clock, Lindsey Scott made a 91 yard touchdown run to beat Florida 27-21. There was probably a little destiny attached to that.
ITG: Who were some of the other key members of that team?
KH: Scott Woerner- defensive back, Jeff Hipp- safety, Frank Ros- linebacker and our captain, Bob Kelly- safety, Buck Belue- quarterback, Ronnie Stewart- fullback, Jimmy Womack- fullback, Jeff Harper- offensive line… a lot of good guys.
ITG: What was it like to go to the Sugar Bowl in 1981?
KH: It was great for me, coming from a small town. I had never experienced anything like it before.
ITG: What do you remember most about that game?
KH: Before heading to the stadium, we all met for a team meeting and then we walked down a spiral ramp that was filled with excited Georgia fans. There was just barely enough room to maneuver through, and that really pumped us up.
ITG: What was it like when that final second ticked off the clock?
KH: That’s hard to describe- everybody was celebrating on the field. There’s not many of those moments- sportswise- in your life.
ITG: Do you keep in contact with any of your teammates?
KH: Of course. There are certain guys that I’ll meet up with for lunch when I go to Atlanta, and we’ve had reunions at ten years, twenty years, and twenty-five years.
ITG: What changes have you seen in the game of football since you were at UGA?
KH: The microscopic focus on athletes is unbelievable. For people to think there’s supposed to be a “perfect” football team, no matter where it is, is just ridiculous.
ITG: What advice do you have for an athlete who wants to play at the next level but isn’t being recruited?
KH: Once I realized that I had the opportunity to walk on, I started looking at things differently. They didn’t have to let me play. Go into it with the attitude that it’s a blessing to be there, not expecting everyone to pat you on the back. You have to make your own way.
ITG: Did you ever get discouraged and feel like giving up?
KH: I was used to difficulty. Football was hard at times, but I was blessed to know how to work hard.
ITG: What impact has playing for the Bulldogs had on your life?
KH: I didn’t let people get me down when they said I’d never make it, and that has carried on into my daily life, my career… everything. It reminds me to work hard for what I want.
ITG: How do you think sports impacts a high school student athlete?
KH: For some, it’s their salvation- it gives them an outlet, and helps them to create goals in a structured environment. I coached basketball and football for over twenty years, and I definitely think sports are a positive influence.
ITG: What do you see in your future?
KH: That’s still kind of up in the air, but right now as a guidance director and part of the administrative team, I feel like I’m in a position to make a positive impact on some student’s lives.
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January 2012
Robert Preston Jr. 
Micki K Photography 
