Hall earned All-State honors as senior at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. after totaling 67 tackles, eight sacks, and one interception as senior.
College career
Hall was a three-year starter at Michigan where he made 185 tackles and 25 sacks. He was a Third-team All-America choice by The Sporting News as senior, also garnering honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and was a Butkus Award semifinalist after making 54 tackles and seven sacks. He was a Second-team All-Big Ten selection as junior with career-highs in tackles and sacks. He had 51 tackles and four sacks as sophomore and 17 tackles and three sacks as redshirt freshman. He was a Sports marketing and administration major.
Professional career
Pre-draft
Detroit Lions
He went undrafted in the 2000 NFL Draft, but signed with the Detroit Lions. The Lions signed defensive end James Hall to a three-year deal for $880,000. In his rookie season of 2000 he played in five games recording one sack. The following season of 2001 he made 35 tackles and four sacks in 15 appearances. In 2002, he made 49 tackles and recorded two sacks. Prior to the 2003 season Hall signed with the Lions a one-year tender for $1.32 million. During that season of 2003, he started 16 games for the first time in his career, finishing the campaign with 59 tackles and 4.5 sacks. In 2004, despite suffering a broken hand on the opening weekend at the Chicago Bears, Hall recorded 48 tackles and a career-high 11.5 sacks. This excellent season led to a renegotiation of Hall's contract. The Lions re-signed Hall to a five-year extension. The terms of the new contract was five years for $14 million. The following campaign, the 2005 season, he recorded 59 tackles he also had five sacks on the season. In 2006, Hall had a career-high 3.5 sacks against the Buffalo Bills on October 15, 2006. The Lions won the game and got their first victory of the 2006 season. He finished his last season at the Lions with 24 tackles and five sacks.
St. Louis Rams
On March 2, 2007, the Detroit Lions traded James Hall to the St. Louis Rams for a conditional draft selection. After two seasons, he was released but later re-signed by the Rams. Hall would go on to start for rest of his tenure in St.Louis and was fairly productive with Chris Long on the other side. He went on to have 244 combined tackles and 30 sacks in five seasons in St. Louis. He was cut on March 12, 2012.
