DeAngelo Hall Accuses Falcons Assistant Of Throwing Punches

ATLANTA -- When the NFL schedule came out at the beginning of the year, the Washington Redskins game at the Atlanta Falcons wasn't necessarily a matchup you expected to be volatile. But DeAngelo Hall sure did.

Hall, who spent the first four seasons of his career playing in Atlanta, did a lot of trash-talking this week. He claimed that Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff lied to him on multiple occasions regarding roster issues, and he dared the Falcons to make him a target this week -- since he knew they probably would anyway.

Was there any doubt that if a skirmish broke out between the two teams that Hall would be involved?

That's exactly what happened. Late in the first half, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was hit after going out of bounds on the Falcons sideline and a melee ensued. The result was a 15-yard penalty against Washington and a lot of pushing and shoving. According to Hall, a Falcons coach even threw punches.

Hall said Atlanta strength coach Jeff Fish took a swing at him: "As a strength coach you going to come in and get [expletive] licks in?"

Hall even added that Atlanta head coach Mike Smith was among the Atlanta coaches who were grabbing at him on the Falcons' sideline. "I was trying to get [Redskins safety] LaRon Landry out of there, and guys started coming at me," Hall said. "Guys on their coaching staff, and not in a mindset to break up a fight."

Hall said he plans to file a complaint with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about the sideline incident, "I'm going to go to Goodell and try to nip this thing in the bud."

Smith had a different take on the incident.

"Our quarterback was hit late, there was a skirmish, and all I was trying to do was restore order," Smith said.

When asked if he got into Hall's face, Smith said, "There were a bunch of guys on that sideline. Some of them were wearing black helmets and some of them were wearing maroon helmets. I can't tell you anything more about it because it was very, very hectic on that sideline."

Smith squashed any further questions by saying, "I can't tell you who was on that sideline. All I can tell you is that I was trying to restore order."

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

11-08-2009 @ 7:14PM

avall said...

I looked at the replay on youtube. It looks like Deangelo Hall is exactly right. The coach had both of his hands on his collar pulling him toward him. While being held by the strength and conditioning coach, it looks like Mike Smith might have thrown a punch.

I could care less about either team, but that is crazy!

11-09-2009 @ 10:33AM

rosematt said...

Huh? I saw the same replay and it appears that the bald guy (who I assume is the strength coach) is holding the guy and Smith comes in to try to pull them back. The guy then faces Smith and Smith tries to push him away. Apparently you forget that these guys are in full pads and the coaches aren't. The fact that this coward, who clearly hit the QB late out of bounds, would threaten an old man out of pads is pathetic. And I am like you-I don't care about either team, but when your QB gets a cheap shot then the guy gets up and acts like he is going to go after more guys, you instinctively try to pull them apart. A player should NEVER threaten any coach. It is cowardly for a professional football player in full pads to threaten anyone that is not suited up.

11-10-2009 @ 8:31AM

jtfee said...

Rosematt said: "The fact that this coward, who clearly hit the QB late out of bounds, would threaten an old man out of pads is pathetic." THE TRUTH IS that Safety Landry, not CB Hall, made the late hit and was penalized for it. No one (other than Rosematt) says the player and the coach had any sort of conversation such as "threatening" to hit the "old man." Rosematt clearly has a potential career in politics.

11-09-2009 @ 9:17AM

greg said...

Who can blame them. Hall deserves a punch in the mouth.

11-09-2009 @ 10:12AM

bub132phs said...

he put his hands on me.... lmao!!! what an idiot!

11-09-2009 @ 10:13AM

xray37 said...

how did the skins get a penilty for that the hit started inbonds what followed should have been offsetting. the ref blue that one.

11-09-2009 @ 11:19AM

GridironGeneral said...

I love it! You trash-talk a team and then run to your mom to tell on someone when they pop you in the mouth for it? I would be humiliated to even say anything other than "I talked trash, they hit back, I hit back, and we all LOVED IT because sometimes that's what football is all about." Hall looks like a crybaby. There are a million cliches to cover this - including "put up or shut up" and "if you can't hang with the big dogs, stay on the porch". Hall should sit on the porch and shut up - www.gridirongenerals.com

11-09-2009 @ 1:23PM

BugKiller said...

Did you guys actually WATCH what happened?

As always, MeAngelo Hall is a LIAR.

Landry, who committed the late hit, had the good sense to leave the sideline.

After Landry is about five yards away from the sideline, in runs MeAngelo, running his mouth and shoving Falcons and Falcon coaches.

Mike Smith had EVERY right to grab that @$$clown and try to kick his butt of his sideline.

Are you people kidding me? MeAngelo Hall ESCALATED the situation to try and settle some made-up, untrue score in his mind.

If Goodell actually looks at the tape, it'll be Hall, not Smith, getting fined or suspended.

MeAngelo Hall, yet another fine ambassador of the VaTech Thuggies and Frank Beamer. Just like the ConVick boys.

11-09-2009 @ 12:07PM

cabot1940 said...

Hall is still mad because the falcons have tried to clean up their act. Gone are the dog-fighting, trash-talking, disrespectful idol wannabes. We finally have a team in Atlanta made up of team members instead of glory seeking media whores

11-10-2009 @ 12:04PM

skins2win said...

Its obvious what happened. Hall went over to help Landry get off of that sideline and when he did he was assaulted by players and coaches. Hall has a legitimate case against the Falcons organization and hopefully the commish will hand down a suspension for Coaches Smith and Fish. Also the commish should look into taking the W and giving it to the skins as the incident that took place during the game was a malicious, criminal act that should be made an example of to its fullest extent!

11-10-2009 @ 2:36PM

cocoa said...

All I seen Coach Smith do was elbow your sorry ass. No wonder they traded your whining sorry ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You hit Ryan late, so what the hell you expect, sorry ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe commis should do something about that late hit you gave Ryan(better have been glad you didn't hurt him), if others here on this blog want the game took away. If this game is taken away, then the Patriots should have been stripped of all their games when they where found to be cheating!!!!! This is FOOTBALL isn't it. You gona have physical contact; if you can't take it get the hell out of it!!!!!!