Watching playoff football is fun for fans, especially if their team is lucky enough to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
For Jets running back Breece Hall, it's motivation.
"I feel like it's like that for all players," Hall said. "When you have a successful season, you still, you kind of take your time off and get back to work when you need to. But when you have the season cut short and you feel like you didn't do what you plan to do, it makes you want to get to work right away. So for me, I have to find that happy balance of taking enough time off but still having to get back to work right away and keeping my foot on the gas."
Hall (5-11, 217) has been full throttle since he was drafted in the second round in 2022 out of Iowa State. He was on pace in '22 to be in the discussion for Offensive Rookie of the Year before his season was cut short by an ACL injury in Week 7. He responded with 1,585 scrimmage yards, the second-most among running backs in the 2023 season.
This past season sang a different tune for Hall and the Jets (5-12) when he finished with 1,359 scrimmage yards (No. 14 among running backs) and 8 touchdowns. He was hampered by a knee injury late in the season that caused him to be listed on the injury report for most of the team's final six games and missed Week 14's matchup at Miami.
"Coming in with the season with high expectations, and for me just dealing with a lot of little injuries and not being able to play like myself, be to my full potential for a lot of the season, it's been hard," he said. "It's been tough. Mentally draining, physically draining. It sucks, but it's part of life. I still feel like God's putting me through this for something very positive to happen to me."
Hall, who will turn 24 in May, has the makeup to be one of the league's top three-down backs. Since he was drafted, he's the only running back in the league to have at least 100 receiving yards in multiple games. His five games with at least 150 scrimmage yards are the fifth most for a running back and his four games with at least 50 rushing and 50 receiving yards are tied for the third most in the league.
How does a player equipped with the tools to be one of the best at his position take the next step?
"Really the little stuff, like pass protection," he said. "Every running back can run the ball, every good running back that plays three downs can catch. My biggest challenge from all my coaches was just pass protection. Then one of the things I try improving all the time is consistency. I feel like as a running back, with the way we get our bodies beat up and stuff, some days you don't have like you do on other days when you're feeling better. So for me, just trying to stay the same guy every day and just keep improving and finding ways to take care of my body."
