To say that Lindenwood sophomore running back Steve Hall was underrecruited would be an understatement.
During a stellar high school career at MICDS, Hall gained 4,446 rushing yards, averaged 8.5 yards per carry and scored 76 touchdowns, yet he received little interest at the college level.
“I definitely got overlooked in recruiting. I remember asking my high school coaches, ‘What am I doing wrong? Why is nothing happening?” Hall said.
Hall received a few of what his high school coach Fred Bouchard called ‘soft offers,’ but late in the process, he received a formal offer from Lindenwood, and things have been happening ever since.
After a breakout freshman season where he earned First Team All-Conference honors, Hall was recently named Preseason Offensive Player-of-the-Year in the Ohio Valley-Big South Conference. He was also one of 30 players placed on the watch list for the Walter Payton Award, presented to the national offensive player of the year in Division 1 FCS (Football Championship Subdivision).
Of the 30 players from 13 FCS conferences, Hall is the only representative from the OVC-Big South to make the watch list for the Walter Payton Award, known affectionately as the Heisman of the FCS. Past recipients include Steve McNair, Tony Romo and Cooper Kupp.
“I feel blessed to get all this recognition,” Hall said. “Also, it gives me motivation to prove people right. If you’re not putting in the work and showing what you can do, it’s all talk. It’s good to hear it, but you have to show that you are who people say you are.”
Last season, Hall quickly showed who he was, catching five passes in Lindenwood’s first game at Kansas. In Week 3, he earned his first 100-yard rushing game at Missouri State.
“I always had the confidence that I could do it, and my coaches gave me the opportunity to show what I could do,” Hall said. “I just wanted to show that I belonged on a Division 1 college football field, and I kept trying to build on that every week.”
The build-up reached a rousing crescendo in Week 9 against Western Illinois. Hall ran the ball 13 times for 259 yards and scored four touchdowns, including explosive 75-yard and 93-yard touchdowns in the fourth quarter. He earned National FCS Freshman of the Week honors and a featured role in Scott Van Pelt’s ‘Bad Beats’ segment on ESPN SportsCenter.
Bad Beats segment 10-28-24: https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/42065124
“A couple days before that game, an aunt who had never seen me play said she was going to watch it. That gave me a little extra fuel,” Hall said. “That game, everything was flowing for me. I felt like I was hot. It was one of those moments when I was in a flow state and everything was going right. It was a blessing for that game to go like that.”
Hall, who ended the season with an arm injury that required surgery, accrued 808 rushing yards, five touchdowns and his 7.3 yards per carry led the conference. He was named OVC-Big South Offensive Freshman of the Year and was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the FCS Freshman of the Year.
The accolades poured in, but the idea of transferring to a bigger school did not.
“I never thought about going into the portal. Lindenwood took a chance on me. They gave me an opportunity to show that I could compete on this stage. I love being at Lindenwood. My family is around here. There was never a thought of me leaving,” he said.
Lindenwood senior quarterback Nate Glantz is thankful that Hall chose to stay.
“To have a guy like that return, it’s rare to get him back,” said Glantz, who begins his second season as the Lions’ signal caller. “Right when I got here, we clicked. We know exactly what each other is going to do, and as a quarterback, it’s great to know that if anything breaks down, I have him to help me.”
Bouchard recalled a moment during a high school practice when MICDS senior quarterback Reagan Andrew publicly credited the then-underclassmen Hall with his profound knowledge of the playbook.
“He said, ‘Coach, I know you always credit me for knowing what we’re supposed to do, but Steve reminds me, ‘You got this (read) about every third or fourth play, and it triggers my memory. I know you think I’m good, but Steve is different-level.'”
The 5-foot-9 Hall added 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason and will weigh approximately 205 pounds when Lindenwood travels to the University of St. Thomas (MN) for the season opener at 6 p.m. Thursday, August 28.
“I feel stronger, faster, more explosive. I wanted to make more big plays between the tackles while still hitting the long runs,” Hall said.
The Lions open the 2025 season with three consecutive road games – at St. Thomas, at Appalachian State (Sept. 6) and at Charleston Southern (Sept. 13) – before playing their first home game at Hunter Stadium September 20 against Stony Brook. Stony Brook running back Roland Dempster was a Walter Payton Award finalist last year and is a fellow member of the preseason watch list this year.
Hall anticipates that he will be fully engaged in the action even when on the sidelines.
“I definitely create a little one-on-one competition. I used to do that in high school, too. If we played a team that had a big-time running back, I took it as a challenge to outperform him and get the win,” Hall said.
In addition to his outstanding ability as a ball carrier, Hall caught 40 passes over his final two seasons at MICDS and continues to shine in that area at Lindenwood.
“I would say I’m pretty balanced. I want to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield, I want to be able to get the five yards and a cloud of dust, I want to be able to hit the 70-yard run. I pride myself on being an all-around, complete back,” Hall said.
And his lack of pridefulness is why Lindenwood head coach Jed Stugart is not worried about Hall experiencing a sophomore slump.
“Sometimes, when guys start getting those (honors), you have to keep an eye on them. They forget what got them there, and Steve is a guy who comes out to work every day like he’s fighting for a starting spot. That’s what makes him great, his humility,” Stugart said.
Bouchard, now a coach in Spring Hill, KS, decided to show his current players how an offensive play should be run and showed them a video of Hall running it.
“The kids were like, ‘Coach, Steve Hall is a dude!’ I laughed because I was trying to show them how the play works, but all they could recognize was that this is a different cat,” Bouchard said.
Youth football players in St. Louis have been lucky to experience the quiet roar of Hall as well, as the former Ram spends time at practices and camps at his alma mater to impart his knowledge.
“People look up to you when you’re a college football player. It’s a good time for us to be leaders in the community and help elevate the St. Louis football scene,” Hall said.
And this fall, Hall hopes to help elevate Lindenwood to new heights in its first season as a full, Division 1 FCS program eligible for postseason play.
“I’m excited for the season. I’m excited to keep showing what we have at Lindenwood, how we’re growing and what we can do on this stage this year,” he said.
Lindenwood will hold its annual open practice and Fan Fest at Hunter Stadium on Saturday, August 16. The open practice goes from 5-7 p.m. Fan Fest goes from 7:15-9 p.m.