By Shannon Russell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Three years ago, former Wyoming standout Richard Hall spent his nights lugging 70-pound boxes onto FedEx trucks and wondering if he'd ever play football again. It's something he still thinks about, even during spring practices at the University of Cincinnati.

UC tailback Richard Hall is fighting for a starting job. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

"I had the opportunity to do something great and I didn't run with it," Hall said. "That's why any opportunity I get now, I take full advantage of."

This spring - a time when, as a high schooler, Hall had expected to accept his college diploma and enter the NFL draft - the 23-year-old is competing for the job of his dreams.

He's a candidate to replace DeMarco McCleskey as UC's starting tailback.

For Hall, the journey has been long and strange. One day he was Ohio's Division IV Offensive Player of the Year; the next he was loading shipped goods. Academic deficiencies deferred Hall's college plans at Ohio State University, the school he'd signed with before his 1999 Wyoming graduation.

Though he later was accepted during the school's winter quarter, he never did more than work out with the Buckeyes. Hall quit football after deciding he didn't have the discipline to make it at OSU. In 2001, he transferred to UC.

He played in all 14 UC games and emerged as the second-leading rusher behind McCleskey in 2002.

Hall wonders fleetingly what it would've been like to stay at OSU, but he's content congratulating old friends instead. The day the Buckeyes returned from the Fiesta Bowl, Hall drove to Columbus and reminisced with offensive guard Bryce Bishop - who, like Hall, was ineligible to practice in 1999.

When a commercial comes on touting the Bucks' national championship, Hall's UC friends still hastily attempt to switch channels.

"Naw, man, it's not like that," Hall is quick to say. "I've gone the wrong route a lot of times, and the Ohio State thing was all my fault. I just look at it as a lesson and move on from it. I'm a Bearcat, and I'm happy."

Hall is no McCleskey - and that's fine by him. McCleskey capped his career with a handful of records, including posting the second-most career yards (3,487) in UC and Conference USA history. He also set Bearcat single-season records as a senior with 1,361 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns.

Hall's elusiveness and agility are stark contrasts to McCleskey, whose trademark yards came from steamrolling his way to the end zone.

"Tackling (Hall) is hard," linebacker Jason Russell said. "He has so many good moves. You think you've got him in your hands - and then he's gone."

Tedric Harwell, Booker Vann and David Harris also are competing for the position. UC coach Rick Minter said the race is open.

"All of a sudden (Hall) is finding himself in a less crowded room with a lot of hungry running backs," Minter said. "If Richard lives up to the hype, so to speak, and returns to form, the running game and running back position will be in good shape."

Hall rushed for 264 yards on 59 carries last season and scored three touchdowns. As a Wyoming senior, he rushed for 2,855 yards and scored 46 touchdowns.

The Ohio State experience and the football hiatus have spurred Hall to change his outlook on athletics and academics. He doesn't plan to squander second chances.

"I find ways to push myself, because it's too easy to fall back into being the lazy person I used to be," Hall said. "Sitting out those three years, I got real, real comfortable not playing football. I almost forgot how much hard work you have to put in."

Running backs coach Phil Dorn said Hall's motivation, and a sense of urgency, are apparent in his work ethic. Hall, who has only two more seasons of eligibility, has been hitting the weight room harder than ever while catching up academically with 18 credit hours.

"One thing that sets him apart is that he knows and believes he should be the guy we count on and go to," Dorn said.

Hall never abandoned his hopes of being a college starter, even during his FedEx days.

"Love is strange," Hall said. "When you love something, you can try all you want to walk away. But it always comes back to you."

E-mail srussell@enquirer.com

A look at tailback Richard Hall vs. former UC star DeMarco McCleskey during the 2002 season:

SCORING		G		TD		Points
McCleskey		14		17		102
Hall		14		3		18

RUSHING	Att		Gain	Loss	Net	Avg	TD	LG
McCleskey	315		1,413	52	1,361	4.3	15	46
Hall	59		284	20	264	4.5	3	25

RECEIVING	Rec		Yds		Avg		TD	LG
McCleskey	32		368		11.5		2	39
Hall	6		40		6.7		0	16