Hall Claims He Gave J.J. Redick 'That Work'

DeAngelo Hall has done a pretty fine job endearing himself to D.C. fans, making plays on the field, not making a ruckus off it, and repeatedly proclaiming his love of all things burgundy and gold. But just in case that wasn't good enough, on Monday afternoon he embarked on an extended discussion of his basketball superiority to J.J. Redick.

"I used to do J.J. Redick," Hall said when discussing his amateur hoops career. "I used to give him that work."

Come again?

"Kill him," Hall explained.

See, basketball was Hall's first love and the sport he took most seriously, so he competed in high-level AAU tournaments with and against guys like Jarrett Jack, Rashad McCants, John Gilchrist and, yes, Redick. He and Redick were teammates when they were about 15 or 16, but the season before that, Hall's Chesapeake team had won a state AAU title over Redick's squad.

"He was like the best player in the state," Hall recalled. "He was so easy [to guard]. You just deny him the ball. You know what I'm saying, he wasn't quicker than me, more athletic than me. I don't know why guys didn't just do that the whole season, just deny him the ball. We went box-and-one, that's all we did, and I manned him up."

Hall has apparently bragged about his performance against Redick for years -- to his wife, his friends and his NFL teammates -- telling everyone how he "used to whip his [butt]." One acquaintance finally asked Redick to confirm the story, and the Dukie called Hall to dispute his version.

"I said, 'Man, you crazy, I whooped y'all [butts]; that's how I got a state [AAU] championship and you don't,' " Hall said. "We was just joking back and forth. I mean, the [stuff's] documented. He had 12 points, I had 32. I checked him. I shut him down. I mean, you can lie about it all you want, but it's on film."

This was all part of an extended hoops discussion after Monday's practice. Hall said he would have pursued a basketball career if he hadn't stopped growing. He said he competed against Hokies basketball players in college and nearly joined Virginia Tech's team, but football coach Frank Beamer wouldn't allow it.

This conversation started, I should note, when Hall told me and Redskins blogger Matt Terl that he's trying to line up a basketball game against Barack Obama. Terl asked him whether he'd take it easy on the president.

"No, I'm gonna give him that work," Hall said. "Why not? Why not? I ain't taking it easy on him. For what?"

And Terl asked whether he'd talk trash.

"Oh yes, you best believe it," Hall said. "I'm a cornerback. Ain't got nothing else to talk about. 'Hey, good foreign policy?' Nah, [forget] that. C'mon friend, D it up, let's go."

Hall has played in Redskins basketball games against teammates like Fred Smoot and Jason Taylor, saying he "talked a whole bunch of [trash] and I went out there and gave them all that work." He said he'd have trouble now matching up with a bigger guard like McCants, but when I asked him what would happen if he faced Redick, well . . .

"I still think I could deny him the ball," hall said. "He couldn't get by me. I don't think he could score on me."

And if Redick tried to play cornerback?

"Oh, he doesn't stand a chance," Hall said. "Does. Not. Stand. A. Chance."