University of Tennessee Athletics
Welcome to the Good Life, Kenny Hall
November 27, 2009 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2009
By Drew Rutherford, UT Media Relations
The words to the Grateful Dead song "Tennessee Jed" couldn't be truer for Tennessee freshman power forward Kenny Hall. "Tennessee, Tennessee-There Ain't No Place I'd Rather Be."
"I love every bit of this place," Hall said. "Once I came here I knew there was no place else for me. I love the system here. I love the players and the coaches. All the people here are nice, and I love it."
After a stop in Stone Mountain, Ga., the Los Angeles native made his way to play on Rocky Top. The transition was smoothed when Hall moved from the West Coast to Dixie.
"When I went from L.A. to Atlanta, everything was so much slower," Hall said. "So moving from Atlanta to Knoxville was pretty much the same kind of transition. It's no problem to me though-I'm just a chill dude. I like the pace of things around here. I am very laid back, so I fit right in."
Listed at 6-8, Hall is the second-tallest player on the Vols' roster and a force to be reckoned with when he is in the zone.
"When I am on the court I mean business," Hall said. "I take it very seriously. I mean, I am having fun and I love what I do... but don't mess with me on the court."
While his hardwood presence intimidates opponents, his everyday demeanor couldn't be more different. But the always personable Hall has a poker face worth a million bucks.
"My teammates tease me because I don't smile a lot and I always have a straight face," Hall said. "But I laugh a lot on the inside. I think I find a lot of little things very funny and I laugh a lot to myself."
As he enters his first season on Rocky Top, the communications major has some strong goals for his rookie season.
"I want to be the best rebounder on the team," Hall said. "So I have to go after every ball and get better at that. It's important to be strong physically and mentally so I can start there."
But his ambition is not shortsighted. Hall has some ambitious career goals in mind, as well.
"I want to have a building named after me when I leave here," Hall said, almost cracking a grin. "I want to come back to the 'Kenny Hall Practice Facility.' Maybe have a statue outside-posing with Coach Pearl. I definitely want to win a national championship here, too."
In order to reach these marks, Hall has to kick off his freshman campaign with plenty of healthy competition. As the season begins, he finds his name among those of upperclassmen Wayne Chism and Brian Williams in the Vols' rotation.
"I love the competition with those guys," Hall said. "They make me better. We go at each other during practice and it is great. It makes me bigger, stronger and smarter."
When he isn't on the court, one might bump into Kenny at one of his favorite eateries.
"I love Waffle House," Hall said, the grin now unmistakably present. "The first time I went to Waffle House-this is a true story, my mom ordered scrambled eggs with cheese on it for me. Ever since, I have loved the Waffle House and I love the All-Star meal. I never get anything else."
So the inevitable question looms: How does Hall like his hash browns?
"I've got to have my hash browns smothered and covered."
No question about it, Hall is living the good life on Good Ole' Rocky Top.
