Getty Tyler Hall chases down Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown during his time with the Atlanta Falcons. Hall was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday evening.
The Los Angeles Rams continued to clear space in the defensive back room for the second time in five days, then added one more secondary player.
After waiving injured cornerback Dayan Lake on August 5, the team announced Jovan Grant was one of two waives by the team on Tuesday morning. Grant got placed on waivers along with punter/kicker Brandon Wright. Grant was originally signed to the Rams on May 1.
S Jovan Grant from Merrimack (6’0 210 lbs)
Grant had 3 INTs and 4 forced fumbles during his NCAA career
However, nearly four hours later, the Rams’ transaction wire page announced that the team claimed Tyler Hall off waivers, who was last with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Rams released K Brandon Wright and DB Jovan Grant, and signed DB Tyler Hall, the team announced.
Hall was a UDFA from Wyoming in 2020 and signed with the Falcons, where he shuffled between the p-squad and active roster. He appeared in 9 games, mostly on special teams.
And the decision to add Hall into the Rams’ DB room comes just four days after the team added Donovan Olumba off waivers.
Who was Grant?
Again, Grant was a late roster addition. But one who hailed out of the Football Championship Subdivision level.
Grant starred at Merrimack College where he was an All-Northeast Conference selection. During his FCS career, Grant averaged 51.6 tackles a year from his safety spot.
In his final season (2019), Grant started in 10 games for the Warriors. He went on to rank second on the team in tackles with 49. He also snatched one interception and delivered two pass breakups. Against Saint Francis, Grant tallied 14 total tackles.
#SafetySaturday Jovan Grant on the takeaway. Sometimes you gotta take what you want #Landlord #RentsDue
In two consecutive years, Grant made the All-NEC second team as he also landed on that list following his redshirt sophomore season of 2018.
Grant wasn’t just praised by his MC coaches for his tackling and ball skills, but for his leadership as well. In May 2020, he was named a team captain.
Jovan Grant was one of two of our 2020 captains to take the #NECFB Media Day Stage today
He discussed his role as a leader & how he can impact the whole roster 🗣
However, Grant and Merrimack didn’t play last season over coronavirus concerns. He ended up having to rely on his 2018 and ’19 film plus private workout sessions just to get his name on any NFL teams’ board.
Now, Grant is the first member of the Rams’ undrafted 2021 rookie class to part ways with the team.
Hall in For an L.A. Homecoming
Though Hall was in Atlanta, he has ties to the L.A. region.
Hawthorne and Gardena, that is.
Hall, a Hawthorne native, emerged as a two-star prospect by 247Sports out of traditional L.A. Southern Section power Serra High of Gardena (the alma mater of Rams wide receiver Robert Woods). Wyoming, though, was his lone reported scholarship offer through the 2016 class. Greg Biggins, National Recruiting Analyst for 247Sports, Called Hall “an extremely underrated two-way player.”
Congrats to Sr. Tyler Hall on receiving his 1st offer from the Wyoming Cowboys out of the Mountain West Conference!
Hall was lauded in Laramie for his versatility: Lining up as a nickelback/cornerback and returned kicks. In 2017, he earned All-Mountain West Conference Honorable Mention for his returning ability. He returned a 97 and 95-yard kickoff return for touchdowns against Hawai’i and Texas State, respectively, in 2017. Outside of kick returns, he delivered this one-handed interception in the ’17 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Central Michigan.
Tyler Hall with the 3rd #Interception and 5th #TurnOver of the game for #Wyoming #Cowboys in the #PotatoBowl
Hall immediately got playing time for the Cowboys as a true freshman in 2016 – appearing in seven games but mostly doing special teams work. For his career, Hall collected 107 total tackles and four interceptions, including a 72-yarder he returned for the score against Texas State on September 7, 2019.
Oh, his most famous and celebrated teammate during the 2016 and ’17 seasons? A future Buffalo Bills quarterback named Josh Allen.