LeBron James of Streetsboro: NIL opportunities lie ahead for small-town hero Mike Hall

STREETSBORO, Ohio — Mike Hall is the biggest man in Streetsboro.

That means physically, where at 6-foot-3 and 285 pounds the defensive tackle hulks over most of the Cleveland suburb’s 16,000 residents. He’s also the largest in reputation, as the borderline five-star Ohio State freshman came to Columbus by way of the small town where everyone knows his name and his face.

He’s the LeBron James of Streetsboro, his mother Lynda Hall told Lettermen Row.

Soon enough, they may see Hall’s name and face on billboards, posters or other ads in the community. That’s made possible by a brand new world of college football. When the NCAA lifted its rules on July 1 to allow college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness, it created an entirely new landscape.

Hall is a prime example for how NIL deals can work in the short term, smaller picture. He’s not Justin Fields, and he’s not Bryce Young. Unless he blows up into a defensive tackle in the vein of Ndamukong Suh, he’s not going to become one of the faces of college football making $1 million on endorsements, commercials and public appearances.

Like many athletes who come from small towns, though, he can own the community he comes from if businesses wish for him to be the face of their store or spokesperson for their franchise.

Big Mike Foundation

Hall, his family and inner circle had a plan laid out long before NIL endorsement opportunities were possible. Their project was always intended to help the Streetsboro community, but now it can serve a dual purpose.

The Big Mike Foundation was put into motion a year ago, and it began its real lift-off in the weeks leading up to Hall’s June 4 enrollment at Ohio State. It is a non-profit organization with its main goal being to provide for the children and families in the Streetsboro community.

“We were told about [NIL] when we first signed,” Lynda Hall said. “And that’s all we knew. My wheels started turning. I said, ‘Hey, you’re such a celebrity here. We’re going to have to do something creative.

“And he does like to give, even though he’s not a person that likes to be in the front. He’s behind the scenes, and he will help out any time, any place.”

Hall’s organization is similar to the Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation, which the five-star Buckeyes offensive lineman officially created last October. Hall’s foundation will be holding events such as food drives, fundraisers to provide winter coats for the youth in Streetsboro and an event planned down the road called ‘Bowling with the Buckeyes’ that will be a collaboration between Hall and offensive lineman Ben Christman to raise money for charity.

John Holman, the communications director and vice president of the Big Mike Foundation, believes non-profit organizations like those will be springing up more often across college athletics and at Ohio State, especially since the strength and frequency of NIL deals is largely influenced by an athlete’s personal brand.

“I know there’s other guys that have nonprofit organizations, but especially now with the name, image and likeness, that really turns it into a whole different monster,” Holman told Lettermen Row. “I think you’ll see more athletes doing it because a lot of these athletes care about the community, and they want to be able to give back to the community. So that’s one way for them to basically promote their brand of Ohio State but also be able to leverage that to promote their personal brand in their community.

“Usually athletes get a nonprofit after they graduate. But Paris, for instance, had his coming into [college]. So I think it’s a smart way to do it. We know Buckeye Nation is crazy. It’s a crazy fan base, so if you’re able to leverage that, it’s a win-win situation.”

Another major aspect of Hall’s foundation is the implementation of youth football camps. Though he’s not receiving money for holding camps, it’s another avenue to build his brand throughout his three, four or five years in college. It can create a building block for future charities and branding purposes if he reaches the NFL while he simultaneously does a lot of good for the community that raised him.

Just three days before he made his move from Streetsboro to Columbus, Hall held a youth camp for kids aged 7-16. After working with the campers on skills ranging from fundamentals to certain pass-rushing techniques, some of the campers wanted Hall’s autograph or a picture with Big Mike before he left town.

Of course they did. That’s been common for years.

Mike Hall: Town celebrity

It didn’t take long for Hall to become a huge deal in Streetsboro.

Growing up in the Cleveland suburb of Garfield Heights, Hall was someone the neighborhood kids his age naturally gravitated toward. He had that aura even then, and that’s why he quickly made a lot of friends. That’s why they would all end up at the Halls’ two-story home, one that he remembers as “the legendary house,” — and one he refers to as “the mini store.“

“I remember I would bring my whole block of friends to my house and tell them you guys can get whatever you want,” Hall said. “My mom would be like, ‘Why are you doing this?’ Money doesn’t grow on trees’ and all that. She didn’t really have a problem with it, but I was just the kind of guy where if you wanna come over, be comfortable.

“I always show love to people regardless of where you are income-wise or family-wise. I always look out for people, regardless of seeking out something to receive or something in return.”

That mentality and personality carried over to Streetsboro, where he moved in 2018 so that his mother could be closer to work. Instead of playing for Benedictine High School, he was now playing for the Streetsboro Rockets.

He hated it.

“He hated it because they were losing,” Lynda Hall told Lettermen Row.

Hall and the Rockets went 4-6 during his sophomore season, but the script got flipped in a hurry. In his final two seasons, Hall led Streetsboro to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons, two straight conference championships, an overall record of 19-2 and a state semifinals appearance.

That entire junior season is when Hall’s stock soared. He then had the reputation as being the most well-known person in Streetsboro, and that’s when Lynda recalls a moment when things started to shift.

Hall also played basketball for Streetsboro, and a little kid came running up to him after the game asking for his autograph. Hall was stunned. He didn’t know if it was real or a joke, but he gave the kid his signature. That became a regular occasion.

“People started asking for his autograph all the time,” Lynda Hall said. “And little kids would walk up to him and be like, ‘That’s Big Mike.'”

‘The official steak of Big Mike Hall’

Mike Hall could corner the Streetsboro market based on the gravitas he has as a town celebrity, and nothing exemplified that better than on that June 1 afternoon.

He conducted his football camp, proving himself as a role model who kids in the city look up to as the first player in 50 years from Streetsboro to get a football scholarship at Ohio State. He’s building his brand without even trying, just by being who he is.

“He’s inspiring younger kids and saying, ‘Hey, no matter the situation, whether it’s Streetsboro, whether it’s Ironton, whether that’s St. Clairsville, whether it’s in one of these small areas in Ohio, that there’s talent there,” Holman said. “You always want that underdog, small-town hero story. Because it affects a lot more people than a kid that may be in a bigger city because there’s just so many people there.

“It gets the community involved, and everybody in that community has a sense of that, that this kid represents our community and we’re glad to have him.”

Following the camp, Holman and Lynda Hall took a trip over to Buckeye Quality Meats, a meat shop run by Paul Byler that’s just a couple blocks down from the high school.

Byler is a big Ohio State fan. Hall is a fan of big steaks.

Hall’s favorites are a dagwood sandwich or a medium-rare ribeye steak, but he had always wanted to try a Tomahawk. As a going-away present, Lynda Hall bought Hall a Tomahawk steak, and Byler hand-selected the best of the batch.

“Mike got a steak as big as him,” she said.

That meeting (or meating, as it were) was an introduction between the face of the town and the owner of the town’s new butcher shop — one that could potentially use a spokesperson to drum up business.

No deals were made that day, and nothing has come of it just yet. But there is the very real possibility of it becoming a business venture for Hall.

Maybe he will get an endorsement deal for a sandwich to be named after him. Call it The Big Mike.

He could show up in the parking lot for a public appearance during the offseason. Call it Grilling with a Buckeye.

Maybe he will wind up in a radio spot for the shop. Call it The official steak of Big Mike Hall.

Or, going beyond just this one business, he could get his own mega-size banner on a building in the Cleveland suburb.

It would be on brand. After all, he is the LeBron James of Streetsboro.