Dante Hall

Damieon Dante Hall, born September 20, 1978, spent nine seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver and return specialist. Known as “the Human Joystick” and “the X-Factor,” he played college ball at Texas A&M before the Kansas City Chiefs picked him in the fifth round of the 2000 draft. After seven years with the Chiefs, he was traded to the St. Louis Rams in 2007. NFL Network ranked Hall the 10th best return specialist ever on its NFL Top 10 Return Aces list, and he entered the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

At Texas A&M, Hall lined up as a running back and return man. In 1996, his 573 punt return yards led the nation. Two years later, he was named the Aggies’ offensive MVP. His 4,707 career all-purpose yards rank second in school history, behind only Darren Lewis. He majored in Ag Leadership & Development. On November 8, 1999, Texas A&M announced Hall’s dismissal for violating team policy; Hall later said he believed parking violations were the cause. He was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021.

The Chiefs drafted Hall in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He debuted on September 24, 2000, as a kick and punt returner, totaling 17 kickoff returns for 358 yards and six punt returns for 37 yards across five games. In spring 2001, he played for the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe, leading the league with 26 kickoff returns for 635 yards and finishing second in punt returns (15 for 177 yards) and combined net yards (1,286). His first NFL touchdown came on a 60-yard reception against the New York Jets on October 6, 2002. That season, he returned one kickoff and two punts for scores, tying a Chiefs franchise record for punt return touchdowns. He made his first Pro Bowl as a kick returner and became the second player in NFL history to return both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in the same game.

In 2003, Hall returned a kickoff or punt for a touchdown in four consecutive games, an NFL record. His most famous play came against the Denver Broncos: reversing direction twice to evade the entire special teams unit on a 93-yard punt return touchdown—his seventh in a 10-game stretch spanning the previous season. He finished with 10 total touchdowns in 13 games. In the playoffs against the Indianapolis Colts, he added another kickoff return touchdown, giving him five for the year, plus a receiving score. He earned his second Pro Bowl nod as a returner in 2004.

During the 2004 season, Hall touched the ball eight times for 242 yards against the San Diego Chargers on November 28, including six kickoff returns for 233 yards and a 96-yard touchdown, a career high. On December 19, he returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a score, becoming the Chiefs’ all-time leader in career kickoff return touchdowns and special teams touchdowns. That year, he set single-season franchise records with 68 kickoff returns and 1,718 kickoff return yards.

In 2005, a memorable moment against the Broncos saw Hall fumble a kickoff return without being touched, just as he seemed headed for a touchdown. On October 2, his kickoff return touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles tied Ollie Matson and Gale Sayers for the most career kickoff return touchdowns (six)—a record that stood until Joshua Cribbs broke it in 2009. That sixth return was also his 10th return touchdown overall, placing him third behind Brian Mitchell (13) and Eric Metcalf (12). In 2006, Hall reached 10,000 career kick return yards during a Week 12 game against the Broncos. He played his second postseason game on January 6, 2007, a rematch of the 2003 Divisional Playoffs against Indianapolis.

In 2007, the Chiefs traded Hall and a third-round pick to the St. Louis Rams for the Rams’ third- and fifth-round picks. On September 30, he tied Metcalf with his 12th return touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. The following year, he injured his ankle against the Arizona Cardinals on October 7, missing four games. After aggravating the injury against the Seattle Seahawks on October 25, he was placed on injured reserve.

After football, Hall worked as an assistant coach at St. Anthony High School in Long Beach, California, in 2013. In 2016, he spent several months as a radio host for KILT-FM in Houston.

Hall holds several Chiefs franchise records: career kick return yards (8,644), career kick return touchdowns (6), career punt return touchdowns (5), career combined punt and kickoff return touchdowns (11), single-season kickoff return yards (1,718 in 2004), and single-season all-purpose yards (2,446 in 2003).

He co-authored Dante Hall: X-Factor, a book about his journey from Texas A&M running back to top NFL returner. Lil Wayne name-dropped him in the song “Dipset (Reppin Time)” with the line “I’m like Dante Hall, I just throw up the X.” Hall appeared as a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman on October 30, 2003. His best-known nickname, “X-Factor,” comes from the way he crossed his forearms to form an “X” after scoring a touchdown.