Mike Hall Jr., Zak Zinter 'building a bridge' with Cleveland Browns after past connection

BEREA — Mike Hall Jr. and Zak Zinter walked into the media room inside the Cleveland Browns' headquarters for the first time as teammates on Saturday afternoon.

The fact it was only about 17 hours removed from the Browns' first two 2024 draft picks — the former an Ohio State defensive tackle; the latter a Michigan offensive guard — finding out they were going to be on the same team gave it a bit of a surreal feeling.

That was felt by no one more than maybe the two players themselves.

“I would just say first off, 'The Game,' in itself, (the school) up north and Ohio State rivalry is insane from day one," said Hall, the Streetsboro High School graduate who was taken with pick No. 54 in Friday's second round. "Whenever you attend these prestigious colleges, that's the main goal.

"But being my rival, my three years throughout my career, then finally being teammates, yeah, it’s crazy to see him in the building. I'm going to be seeing him day in and day out. But we're brothers now and it's all about that.”

Bringing together a former Buckeye and a former Wolverine certainly has its own dynamics, as Hall said. However, they're far from the first two to go from being on opposite sides of arguably the greatest rivalry in college football to being teammates in the NFL.

No, what made the fact Hall and Zinter, who was taken with pick No. 85 in the third round, were sitting two feet apart at the dais on Saturday was what occurred the last time they were on the field together, last Nov. 25 in the latest chapter of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. That's when Hall, after being blocked by Wolverines center Drake Nugent, fell into the back of the left leg of Zinter, who was engaged with another Buckeyes defender.

The impact of the 6-foot-2, 290-pound Hall into Zinter's leg led to both the fibula and tibia snapping. He eventually needed surgery on the leg, which raised questions about whether or not he would even get a legitimate shot at the NFL.

“I mean, it definitely crossed my mind," Zinter said. "I mean, you know, going into that game and, you know, the year I’ve had and then that happening, I didn’t know what had happened at that point, but, I mean, it definitely crossed my mind. You know, I knew something had happened to my leg. I didn’t know how bad or how good it was, but, I mean, it’s definitely something that crossed my mind for sure.”

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Turns out, the concern was for naught. Despite not going through either the NFL combine or Michigan's pro day, Zinter tried to assuage teams' concerns with a short video he recently put out showing him working out.

The video did the job for at least one team, the one whose building Zinter found himself standing — without any visible effects of the injury — inside on Saturday. The one who also re-connected him to the person who, unintentionally, created the initial doubt in his mind about an NFL future.

"It was just real tragic to see that," Hall said. "He’s a hell of a player and he’s my teammate now. My brother. But we were just real. Because when you go out there against those guys, you want to play against the best. You don't want to go against — no offense to anybody — but the second or third, you want to go against the top, top. And this game is all about competing.”

The Browns had a scout in attendance for that game in Ann Arbor. Director of Player Personnel Dan Sangeny also said Saturday they've seen that play, as well as every other play in that game, "probably 80 times as a group together at this point."

So, despite general manager Andrew Berry saying on Friday night he could say "off the top of his head" whether he was aware of the two players' connection on the play, it was known inside the building. Saganey, who followed Hall and Zinter to the dais shortly after. couldn't even resist a slight joke about the situation.

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“Before we get started, did you guys have Hall and Zinter square off in some one-on-one’s out there?" Saganey said. "I love to know who won because it’s going to be a good battle. We’re building bridges. We’re building bridges. Two good players, excited to get them, so hope it all went well with them.”

The next time either Hall or Zinter talk to the media, the questions about that one unfortunate moment that tied them together. It will be about actual on-field football, specifically the on-field adjustment both of them are now going through from the highest level of college to the highest level of the sport in its entirety.

Both, at least for the time being, benefit from older veterans directly in front of them. Hall joins a defensive tackle group with at least four — Dalvin Tomlinson, Maurice Hurst II, Quinton Jefferson and Shelby Harris— standing in his way.

Zinter, meanwhile, has two of the best guards in football in front of him in multi-time All-Pro Joel Bitonio and two-time Pro Bowler Wyatt Teller. It's opportunities for both of them to absorb what they can from those who haven't just done it, but done it at a high level.

"I mean, I’m pumped to have two guys like that, you know, that have done it and are doing it at a high level," Zinter said. "I mean, just, you know, I’m pumped to come in, be in that room, and just learn from them. Just see how they go about their everyday lives, you know, how they prepare, how they attack practice, all that kind of stuff. And just mimic and attach on them at the hip and just try to grow.”

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ex-rivals Mike Hall Jr., Zak Zinter 'building a bridge' with Browns