Former standout Tiger DB Rashard Hall ready for next phase of his life

Rashard Hall became one of the ten recipients of the Roaring10 award.

by Grayson Mann - Correspondent - Sep 15, 2024, 12:00 PM

CLEMSON - Stepping onto the stage, Rashard Hall became one of the ten recipients of the Roaring10 award this April. Being recognized for his service to the community was a reminder of the work he had done to reach this point.

The fact of the matter is, when you talk to Hall, he’s been a servant of his community for as long as he can remember.

Growing up in St. Augustine, Florida, Hall remembers selling snacks and toys, and recruiting other children his age to join him.

Moments like that helped shape Hall’s experience and confidence as a leader. As he grew as a football player, he knew that he possessed equally unique gifts off the field.

He asked a simple question - why not use both?

“I remember being an entrepreneur in the second grade, selling toys and snacks and recruiting other children to join me," Hall said. "My experiences growing up helped shape the person grow up in a very business tourist town, but also have the raw and tangible development of growing up in the hood, playing outside with my friends in Collier Heights. Witnessing my parents' ambition and service, along with the environments they and sports exposed me to, made it easy for me to dream big. My mom taught to grind for what I want, and my dad showed me the importance of staying humble. So by the time I got to Clemson, I knew the doors my athletic ability could open—but I was determined to max out everything college had to offer."

Hall didn’t just display confidence that he could succeed; he did exactly what he set out to do. He graduated within three years and became an All-American in the process.

Hall holds plenty of statistical records from his time as Tiger, ranking in the top five in interceptions, turnovers, tackles, and most games started as a defensive back.

It wasn’t the moments on the field that Hall identifies with the most. He remembers a trip to New York, where he joined 24 marketing students for a week visiting various companies.

Walking through the bright lights of the Big Apple, he came into this trip with the shining promise of playing in the NFL directly on his mind. On his way home, he came away with a different attitude.

"That was a trip I remember clearly—it took my curiosity and confidence to the next level. I always wanted to play for the NFL team, but I came back from that trip wanting to own an NFL team,” Hall told TigerNet. “It was a mindset shift, that trip showed me that I have intangibles that can compete not only on the field, but in the boardroom. I'm looking at marketing leaders making $800,000 a year more than some NFL players that I admire. And so as a young guy, finding out that there's different paths to obtain the the lifestyle that you want was exciting.”

Hall also recognized there was only one other athlete or minority on this trip, and knew he wanted to find a way for his fellow athletes to have those same opportunities.

"All my friends and athletes at universities need these opportunities. We train and go to school year around, and too busy to go on any internship that's over two weeks long. But experiences like that helped me to implement programs that I knew were needed when I got a position to do so.”

Much like Hall had done for most of his life, when he set out to do something, he very well did it.

Along came P.A.W. Journey.

Hall had roles with Johnson and Johnson and Merrill Lynch, but he had returned to Clemson as an academic advisor graduate student for athletes. Once again, he was in a position to serve others.

All he needed was an opportunity from Jeff Davis and Dabo Swinney.

In his time as the director of Career and Professional Development, the recognition of P.A.W. Journey began to skyrocket. Hall led initiatives that transformed the industry, leading the charge for opportunities for athletes.

He was becoming the servant leader he always envisioned. One number that sticks out is from 2018 to 2024; under Hall’s leadership, 167 senior scholar athletes had 100 percent career placement.

“It's almost overwhelming to know that we have scholar-athletes with rare sets of intangibles now in the marketplace, and as leaders of healthcare and technology and sports and all different industries, their skills can transfer into and make an elite difference the same way they did on the field,” Hall said. “And they're finding that passion while they're still here in college because a hundred percent career placement doesn't just happen. It can be something that a director can desire, but it takes scholar athletes to put the work in, invest in their future and take advantage of the holistic development P.A.W. Journey offers. It also confirms why P.A.W. Journey is the the current paragon of student-athlete development."

When it came to those opportunities, Hall knew there was more he could provide.

His time at Clemson led to his own business being driven in that same direction - Scholar-AthELITE. Not only that, but a book of the same title.

Hall’s vision for the book was simple: craft something for the athlete to learn from and turn back to throughout their journey. Much like how football and education shaped his development, the structure of college and the game of football dictated the format of his novel.

“Seperating The Scholar AthELITE into four quarters that progressed from Freshman to Senior year was my attempt to meet college athletes where they are make,” Hall said. "Every page number is a play within a quarter, for reference. It's almost like reading the Bible, you can easily direct someone to empowering information by referencing quarter two, play 62, that kind of deal. It's literally a guide on how to become an elite athlete and professional with the emphasis on the professional part. Touching on everything a college athlete will face or need to overcome, it shows athletes how to build on the platform that comes with being elite. It gives practical ways to invest in your future and develop the resources and relationships that will benefit you for a lifetime."

Hall had found his next purpose.

"My mission is to get the book into the hands of all college athletes and high school students transitioning into college, as well as athletes and non-athletes alike," Hall said. "The book is the playbook, and the company is the practical application. If all athletes read the guide and experience the development, it would enhance many communities and birth many companies. ”

Entering the summer of 2024, Hall was beginning a new chapter in his life, but he was confident in his direction.

Walking onto that stage and receiving such an award was a deep-down reminder to keep going.

Hall doesn’t measure his achievements by stacking trophies side by side; he defines his success by the number of people he’s able to serve.

“It confirmed that the way I've been trying to measure success for most of my life, is greater than an amount of money or athletic achievement," Hall said. “You measure success by how many people you bless. So getting that award just lets me know that in the community, career, athletics, and nonprofits, it's serving others using your gifts and talents is what leaving a kingdom legacy is all about.”