One week ago today, Chad Hall's amazing NFL journey moved one step forward when he was named to the team's 53-man roster. Hall, generously listed at 5-8, 187, was signed off the practice squad to be the fourth receiver against the San Francisco 49ers with rookie fifth-round pick Riley Cooper out with a concussion.

"I got the call Thursday night that I was traveling, but I didn't know if I was going to actually be activated or not," Hall said. "It all happened over the weekend. It was a great feeling, but I knew it was business and I had to be prepared mentally."

Hall, of course, is an Air Force graduate who served his country following graduation with two years as a second lieutenant at Hill Air Force Base in Salt Lake City, Utah. He signed with the Eagles as a free agent in the off-season and impressed in training camp, flashing his short-area quickness, good hands and versatility. Hall fell just short of the active roster at the final cutdown, but the Eagles thought enough of him to keep the diminutive wideout around on the practice squad.

So Hall, never one to settle, didn't stop at just making an active roster. In the third quarter of the team's 27-24 win over the 49ers, Hall snagged a bullet pass from Kevin Kolb to convert a third-and-2 with a nine-yard gain.

"Going in there, I had one play where I was the primary and that was the play I made my first catch on," said Hall. "I got open, did my job and got the first down. It was a good feeling; Jason Avant rushed over and picked me up all excited. It was a good feeling for sure."

And what about the emotions of the 24-year-old rookie making his NFL debut?

"I actually wasn't as nervous as I thought I was going to be," he said. "I've been preparing for this moment for two-and-a-half years, three years, so I was ready for it. I was going to enjoy it. I think right when we ran out of the tunnel, that was sort of time to go, get ready."

Many Eagles observers figured that Hall would simply return to the practice squad this week when Cooper got healthy, but all indications point to Hall, the consummate team player, now remaining on the roster.

"I set myself different goals now," he said. "It's time to do a little more, help this team a little more any way I can ... That's the main goal, to find a way, whether it's a block, or a catch, whatever it is, to spring something. Spring a first down, spring a touchdown, anything I can to help us get that 'W' at the end of the day."

-- Posted by Bo Wulf, 6:30 p.m., October 16