Derick Hall's 1% to Super Bowl Hero: The Faith That Carried a Seahawks Linebacker Through

Derick Hall strip sacked Drake Maye in the Super Bowl against New England this past February, and it was the kind of moment most NFL players dream about their entire careers. But Hall's journey to that stage involves odds that make a Super Bowl appearance look routine.

Hall was born four months premature at just 23 weeks gestation. He arrived without a heartbeat, suffering from a brain bleed, and doctors gave him a 1% chance to survive. "I wasn't born breathing," Hall told Fox News Digital. "I was born dead."

A Mother's Fight

For Hall's mother, Stacy Gooden-Crandle, those first days after her son's birth were nothing short of a nightmare. "Emotional, a lot of uncertainty, scared," she recalled of those terrifying moments when her son's life hung in the balance.

Hall and his mother have opened up about how Christianity became the bedrock of his entire journey, from those impossible early days in the hospital to becoming a Super Bowl contributor for the Seattle Seahawks. Faith wasn't just something they talked about in those early months. It was what kept them moving forward when the medical world had essentially given up.

From 1% to the Biggest Stage

The fact that Hall survived at all defies logic. The fact that he made it to the NFL, much less made a tone-setting play in the Super Bowl, speaks to something deeper than genetics or medical care. Hall's story is a reminder that sometimes the odds mean nothing when you've got something stronger than statistics on your side.

That strip sack in the third quarter wasn't just a big moment for Hall or the Seahawks. It was the culmination of a life lived against impossible circumstances, and it's a story Seattle should never forget.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.