By Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Basketball Beat Reporter
Photo courtesy of SJSU Athletics
It was a subtly bizarre scene.
Cade Hall in comfy Adidas flip flops and an SJSU hoodie with his hands in the pockets of a pair of basketball shorts while standing in the back of the Spartans weight room on Pro Day.
Curious to see why he was spectating instead of participating in the bench press or vertical leap for the scrum of NFL scouts, I walked over to the defensive end and got confirmation of something many have been wondering.
“I’m retired,” he told me.
One of the greatest defensive linemen in Spartans history, who finished fourth all-time in sacks (25.5), will never dig his fingers into AstroTurf again.
Hall’s fresh off an All-Mountain West First Team after he finished seventh in the conference with 7.5 sacks and was critical in SJSU finishing seventh nationwide in total sacks. The honor is placed neatly next to the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year award he won in 2020.
Hall’s chances of being drafted weren’t particularly high, but he has the resume to be offered an opportunity at the next level.
Even his fellow book end Junior Fehoko was “surprised” by the news.
Before the 2022 season started, the two discussed first bringing success to SJSU and then going through the draft process together. When the season ended after a loss in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Fehoko said goodbye to him, but it wasn’t expected to be the final goodbye.
“I didn’t know at that time, but he gave me a call a couple of weeks later letting me know. Probably like you and all the fans are, I was in shock.” said Fehoko, the reigning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-Mountain West First Team.
When the bookends names are brought up, it’s difficult to think of one and not the other.
“It’s like two peas in one pod. That’s me and Cade,” said Fehoko. Both were heavily under-recruited local products who arrived to SJSU in 2018 a year after it went 2-11 in Brent Brennan’s first year as head coach. The Spartans even took a step back in their freshman season, sustaining an 1-11 slate.
The struggle only formed an unbreakable bond and paved the way as both played a key role in SJSU’s 2020 Mountain West Championship season and again in 2022’s bowl. It was the first time SJSU reached two bowl games in the span of three years since the mid-80s.’
“Finishing together, taking that next step together. We started this thing together so it was only right,” said Fehoko.
Just like you I was curious to find out the why behind Hall’s decision.
What made him choose a new path in life? Especially after hearing Fehoko say that Hall wasn’t planning on retiring at the beginning of the next season.
In his usual calm tone, Hall respectfully declined my interview request at Pro Day and said he’d prefer to share more with me over Zoom another time.
I hope he follows through, but if he doesn’t then that’s fine, too. No explanation is needed.
“It’s a lot of things an individual could be going through. Can’t really pinpoint what his reason was,” said Fehoko. “He’s a great man, great person, great player. Whatever he decides to do with this next chapter in his life he’s going to do great things.”
While leaned up against a railing, I watched the two giants share an embrace as big as it was warm. Figuratively and literally. Fehoko worked up a sweat while training in front of scouts from the San Francisco 49ers, Tennesse Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texas.
Fehoko said the hug was “giving flashbacks to all the great things that we did together. Every time I see Cade its none other than seeing my blood brother or something like that. That just goes to show how close we were as a duo.”
When both let go, they talked about grabbing a bite to eat somtime soon and Hall skipped over to catch up with some former teammates and exited CEFCU Stadium with a beaming smile.
Trailing behind Hall were two clipboard-carrying scouts from the 49ers. I’ll never see the notes they jotted down, but I’ll bet none were about the Spartan legend walking in front of them.