Tennessee Titans fullback Ahmard Hall was the lead blocker for Chris Johnson, the NFL's top rusher in 2009. (Marine Corps picture)
It’s not exactly the Pro Bowl, but Marine Corps veteran Ahmard Hall has been named to the USA TODAY “All-Joe Team.” After probably the best season of his 4-year career, the Tennessee Titan was the publication’s pick for fullback on the honorary squad.
So what exactly is the All-Joe Team? USA TODAY says it’s reserved for NFL players who are “unheralded, unloved and, sometimes, underpaid since the one prerequisite for being an All-Joe is that you cannot have a Pro Bowl on your résumé.” USA TODAY has put the team together since 1992, and it’s named after former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Joe Phillips, a largely unsung lineman during his 14-year career.
Here’s what USA TODAY had to say about Hall:
When you have a hard-nosed former Marine as your point man, as Chris Johnson did this year, it becomes a little easier to rack up 2,000 yards.
Indeed, Hall helped pave the way for the NFL’s most prolific running back, who, to his credit, advocated for Hall after he was left off the AFC Pro Bowl team in December. Unfortunately for Hall, he gained some unwanted attention the next week for a controversial holding call that cost Johnson a 62-yard touchdown run in the final game of the season. Johnson still managed to surpass 2,000 yards — only the sixth runner to do so — but the penalty hurt his quest to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.
Nevertheless, Hall deserves a lot of credit for the Titans ground game, which has been one of the most potent in the NFL for the past two season. The All-Joe Team probably won’t get him a bigger contract, but it’s more positive attention for the former Marine who does the dirty work in the Titans’ backfield.
If you want to see just how effective Hall is, look for number 45 during this Chris Johnson highlight clip.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoUr82vUx60&feature=related[/youtube]
