Seattle Seahawks star Derick Hall was instrumental in winning the Super Bowl last season - however, his mom has revealed he was 'born dead' during a surprising interview
04:12 ET, 08 May 2026
Derick Hall #58 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after winning Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots
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Derick Hall was given a one percent chance of survival after being born four months prematurely (Image: Getty Images)
Seattle Seahawks star Derick Hall was “born dead” and given just a one per cent chance of survival, says his mother, who opened up about his birth in a shocking interview.
Less than three years after being drafted, Hall emerged as one of the standout performers on Seattle’s defense during the Seahawks’ dominant Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots in February. But a career in the NFL once seemed almost impossible after the circumstances surrounding his birth.
The now 25-year-old, weighed just 1.5 pounds at birth and was given only a one per cent chance of survival after his mother went into labor four months prematurely. Meanwhile, Dianna Russini made desperate move to save job after Mike Vrabel pictures.
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In an interview with People, Hall's mom Stacy Gooden-Crandle has opened up about the traumatic circumstances surrounding the linebacker's birth.
She revealed that she was 28 weeks pregnant with her second child when her waters broke and she was rushed to a hospital in Gulfport in Mississippi. "He was not staying in that room," she said. "He wanted to come out. But the doctors were definitely preparing me for the 'what ifs'".
Doctors feared Hall — who now stands 6ft 3ins tall and weighs 265lbs — would be left in a permanent vegetative state and advised his mother to switch off his life support, which she refused to do.
Hall spent five months in intensive care after birth and later endured repeated hospital visits along with severe asthma throughout his childhood. "He was born dead. He had to be resuscitated, put on life support, and he stayed on life support for a while," Gooden-Crandle added.
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall with his mom Stacey Gooden-Crandle
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Stacey Gooden-Crandle gave birth to Seattle Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall after just 28 weeks(Image: Stacey Gooden-Crandle/Facebook)
"It was really touch-and-go for a long time. They said he only had a one percent chance at survival for the first two weeks. I was nervous, but I'm a faith-based woman, and I felt like if God brought me to it, he could bring me through it.
"We celebrated when he got off life support. We celebrated when they took out the feeding tube. We celebrated every single victory. He just had this innate ability to fight."
Hall began playing flag football at the age of four and went on to star at Gulfport High School before developing into one of the top defensive ends in college football at Auburn Tigers football.
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He was selected by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and quickly established himself as a key piece of Seattle’s defense.
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Shortly after the Super Bowl victory, Gooden-Crandle approached Hall and tapped him on the shoulder before the pair embraced, with both quickly overcome by emotion as they broke down in tears of joy.
"Mom doesn´t miss a game," Hall said. "From the time I started playing football at 4 to tonight, my mom has been at every single game."