MLS soccer player Tally Hall to become Orlando police officer

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Chances are, if you are a soccer fan, you know Tally Hall.  Hall was Orlando City Soccer Club’s starting goalkeeper during their inaugural Major League Soccer season. 

The 31-year old has officially retired his cleats and gloves and is taking on a new challenge as an Orlando Police Department recruit. 

“It’s pretty exciting.  I’ll be excited… more excited when recruit is not there and I can just be a police officer,” Hall said.

While to most, this sounds like a total departure, going from the field to the streets, Hall said it has been a long time coming.  

“Last year, the guys on the team kind of knew that I was always stepping out of the locker room on game days to kind of talk to the police officers that were in charge of security.  It did kind of become a joke that I had more fun hanging out with them than I did playing soccer.  After thinking about it, I found myself agreeing with it,” said Hall.

Hall ended the 2015 season with Orlando City tearing his meniscus and getting knee surgery.  In November, the team announced they were parting ways with the keeper fans affectionately called ‘Tally Wall.’

“When you’re 31 years old and taking your family and moving back home and move in with your parents to kind of figure your life out, I was thinking maybe this is the time for the transition,” said Hall.

MLS came calling again and Hall signed with D.C. United in April. 

“When I signed with DC United this year, I was kind of interested to see, would this kick-start my interest back in soccer, was this something I could put on hold a career change?  And realized, no, the time was right.  When an opportunity came up to start my career with OPD I jumped at the opportunity,” said Hall.

Hall officially announced his soccer retirement in July.  In his 10 years of playing professionally, Hall has been respected by his peers for being a leader, always keeping his cool and doing whatever needed to keep the ball out of the net.  He recognizes putting on the blues is a whole new ballgame. 

“It’s going to be a whole lot more responsibility. It’s not win lose, its life death and that’s a challenge I’m looking forward to start learning,” said Hall.

On Saturday, just as Orlando City was getting ready for a home match, Orlando Police took to Twitter to announced the one time Lion is joining their police academy.  That social media post garnered a lot of attention.  It seems Hall’s young children are the most excited about his career change. 

“The kids never thought being a soccer player was overtly cool.  Being a police officer was way cooler,” Hall said with a big smile on his face.   It appears the whole family has a bit to learn about police life.  “My daughter asked me if I was going to be giving yellow cards to people,” said Hall.