By Erik Harris
TRUSSVILLE — Whaley Hall, a native of Trussville and member of the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame, died in Hampton, Va., on Saturday, March 7.
He was 73.
After fighting an extended illness, the former Hewitt-Trussville sports star leaves behind a wife, two kids and a granddaughter.
Hall greatly impacted Ole Miss football, playing for legendary coach John Vaught in the early to mid 1960s. The lineman was part of back-to-back Southeastern Conference Championship teams in 1962 and 1963.
He served as one of the team’s co-captains in 1963 while earning first team All-SEC honors and being named the SEC Outstanding Lineman of the Year by the Birmingham Touchdown Club.
Some might call Hall’s three-year run in Oxford the glory days of Rebel football. In his time as a varsity player, Ole Miss posted a record of 26-3-2 with a shared national championship to go along with the consecutive SEC crowns.
Following his two Sugar Bowl and one Cotton Bowl appearances with the Rebels, Hall was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, but ended up playing two seasons in Philadelphia for the Continental Football League. He won a CFL championship in 1966.
Hall was married to his wife Lynne for 42 years. His service was held at Altmeyer Funeral Home-Riverside Chapel in Virginia.