Michigan CB Aamir Hall's phone blew up following key interception against Ohio State: 'It's a beautiful thing'
As a member of Albany in 2023, Michigan Wolverines football graduate cornerback Aamir Hall recorded a pick-six in a 24-8 win over William & Mary. Playing along the boundary, Hall came on a corner blitz, saw left-handed quarterback Darius Wilson start his throwing motion, put his hands up and came away with the interception. He ran it back 45 yards for a touchdown, dragging Wilson the final 25 yards to reach pay dirt.
The play that put the Great Danes up 17-0 can be watched as part of FloCollege’s highlight package from the Nov. 4, 2023 game, which was steamed online. That video currently has 1,500 views.
The 6-foot-1, 201-pound Baltimore native said the pick-six was the biggest play he had made in his football career until 392 days later, when he intercepted Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, returned the ball to the 3-yard line and set up a Michigan rushing touchdown in a 13-10 triumph in Columbus.
“So it was kinda similar to that play, as far as the gravity of it and what it meant for my season personally,” Hall said.
Except millions and millions more saw Hall’s play against Ohio State, putting him on the college football map. Michigan’s victory averaged 12.3 million viewers, making it the second-largest television audience of the 2024 regular season, behind only the Georgia-Texas game.
“I was kinda sitting at the sticks, was able to get a good break and made a play on the football,” Hall said of his impact play. “It was a critical moment in the game, and it really helped kinda swing the momentum of things. I was grateful and blessed I was able to make that play and that game went the way it did. Very thankful for that.”
Hall’s phone blew up — understandably — much more than it did after his pick the year prior.
“Yeah. It was definitely a big difference,” the Michigan cornerback said with a laugh.
“It’s hard to tell [how many texts came in]. It was a lot. I really don’t get into that, for real. I got back to a lot of my family members, but there were people from everywhere [that reached out].
“It’s ‘The Game,’ so a lot of people watching, a lot of people have congratulations and things to say. It’s a beautiful thing, but there were a lot of people to get back to.”
Hall joined the Michigan program over the summer, with one year of college football left. The Wolverines had won 40 of their last 43 games and the 2023 national championship, yet the first thing he heard about after arriving at the building was the rivalry against Ohio State. Little did he know at the time, he’d be the catalyst for one of the most important sequences in a historic upset victory.
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“You work every day to beat that team, so that’s a big mindset thing going into a week like that, and just throughout the season, preparing for that game,” Hall said.
The actual moment lived up quite favorably compared to what he envisioned.
“It was everything and more,” the Michigan standout said. “You’re in that atmosphere, it’s something you dream of your whole football career. But honestly, when you put yourself in that moment and you’re going to battle with that group of guys, I feel like that’s the most important thing you have on your mind, especially when you’re on the field.
“I was just playing team football, and that allowed me to do my job and make plays on the field, so that was the biggest thing for me.”
Hall said he didn’t feel fully comfortable at Michigan until the Northwestern game Nov. 23, the week before heading down to Columbus. He had an interception — his first at U-M and the ninth of his five-year college football career — in the 50-6 win over the Wildcats, too.
“The Northwestern game, honestly, was the best I felt all season, and then moving past that,” Hall said.
“Both great opportunities to end the season on a high note. That’s something that we pride ourselves on, going into that back end stretch of games. I’m glad we finished up the season like that, and leave that lasting impact going onto the next season for the young guys.”