Inside The Panthers

Pitt S Erick Hallett Sent Jaguars to Voicemail on Draft Day

It took some extra effort for the Jaguars to reach their sixth round pick, Pitt Panthers safety Erick Hallett.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt S Erick Hallett Sent Jaguars to Voicemail on Draft Day
Pitt S Erick Hallett Sent Jaguars to Voicemail on Draft Day /
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PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers safety Erick Hallett made a career of rejecting passes from opposing quarterbacks but his affinity for aerial denials did not come in handy on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, when the Jacksonville Jaguars were trying desperately to get a hold of him. 

The Jaguars had just selected the three-year starter from Pitt with the 208th overall pick in the sixth round and they had called Hallett twice. He didn't recognize the number the team was calling him from, so like the good Gen-Z-er Hallett is, he let the calls go to voicemail. Twice. 

Eventually, the Jaguars called Hallett's mom, who luckily did answer the phone, according to a report from Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She asked her son why he wasn't answering his phone before handing hers over and letting Jacksonville make their sixth-round pick official. 

It's understandable why Hallett wasn't anticipating any calls from a Jacksonville area code. His pre-draft visits were limited to just a lone workout with his hometown Houston Texans and a roughly 10-minute call with the Jaguars, per Hiles' report. 

Hallett admitted he had some doubts about leaving Pitt with a year of eligibility left, but the call from the Jaguars affirmed the belief that he did belong in the NFL. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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