Tamba Boimah Hali (born 3 November 1983) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...
(Penn State), where he earned
All-American honors, and was drafted by the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
in the first round of the
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
.
Early years
Hali was born in
Gbarnga
Gbarnga is the capital city of Bong County, Liberia, lying north east of Monrovia. During the First Liberian Civil War, it was the base for Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia. Cuttington College, a private, Episcopal-affilia ...
,
Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
. He was sent to the United States at the age of 10 to escape
civil war-torn Liberia. He worked to become an NFL-caliber player because he thought it would help him raise the money to reunite with his mother, Rachel Keita, and bring her to the United States after not having seen her for more than twelve years.
Hali attended
Teaneck High School
, motto_translation = To enrich the mind and improve the character
, fundingtype = Public
, schooltype = high school
, grades = 9– 12
, district = Teaneck Public Schools
, enrollment = 1,239 (as of 2021–22)
, faculty = ...
in
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck () is a Township (New Jersey), township in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, th ...
, where he played for the
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
team. He was named a high school
All-American. He also
lettered
Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...
in
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
.
Considered a four-star recruit by
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
, Hali was listed as the No. 5 strongside defensive end in the nation in 2002.
College career
Hali received an
athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university or a private high school awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport. Athletic scholarships are common in the United Stat ...
to attend
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...
, where he played for coach
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent Paterno (; December 21, 1926 – January 22, 2012), sometimes referred to as JoePa, was an American college football player, athletic director, and coach. He was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions football, Penn ...
's
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions team represents the Pennsylvania State University in college football. The Nittany Lions compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference, which they joined in 1993 afte ...
team from 2002 to 2005. Following his senior season in 2005, was recognized as a unanimous
All-American, the
Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
Defensive Lineman of the Year, and a first-team All-Big Ten selection. He was instrumental in helping the Nittany Lions finish 11–1, winning the Big Ten championship and the
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game in th ...
that season.
He led the Big Ten with 11
sacks (tied for eighth nationally) and 17
tackles
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football
** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking u ...
for loss and earned numerous accolades for his play. He was a finalist for the
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athle ...
, presented to the nation's top defensive player, and the
Ted Hendricks Defensive End Award.
Hali's season sack total is tied for sixth-best at Penn State and his 36 career tackles for loss are tied with
Matt Millen
Matthew George Millen (born March 12, 1958) is a former American football linebacker and executive. Millen played 12 years in the National Football League for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins, ...
for tenth best. Hali received the
Robert B. Mitinger Award, which is given to the Nittany Lion football player who best personifies courage, character, and social responsibility.
Hali was named defensive
most valuable player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
(MVP) of the 2006
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...
. He was later inducted into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame.
Professional career
Hali entered the
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
ranked as the third-best defensive end behind
Mario Williams
Mario Jerrel Williams (born January 31, 1985) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football for North Carolina State University, and was selected first overall by the Houston Texans in the 2006 NFL Draft. A four-time ...
and
Kamerion Wimbley
Kamerion Wimbley (born October 13, 1983) is a former American football outside linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft with the 13th ove ...
. Tamba spent some time as a defensive tackle in college.
There was not much pre-draft hype for Hali heading into the 2006 NFL Draft until ''
The Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
'' made his amazing story of escape from war-torn
Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
at age 10 their 21 April 2006 cover story.
NFL
scouts
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
began to take notice, reporting that Hali presented himself in an excellent manner not only in his workout but also in his interview at the
NFL Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footba ...
. Hali was chosen 20th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in a surprise move. Hali was projected by many analysts to be selected later in the draft, but Kansas City did not hesitate to select the best player possible to help their struggling defense.
2006 season
Making an early impression in Chiefs camp, Tamba Hali earned the nickname of "The TambaHawk" (a take on "
Tomahawk
A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Indigenous peoples and nations of North America. It traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and Europ ...
"), and the starting position for defensive end.
On 31 July 2006, Hali was excused from the Chiefs two-a-day practices at training camp in
River Falls, Wisconsin
River Falls is a city in Pierce County, Wisconsin, Pierce and St. Croix County, Wisconsin, St. Croix counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is adjacent to the River Falls (town), Wisconsin, Town of River Falls in Pierce County and the Kinnic ...
and flew back to his home in Teaneck, New Jersey to be sworn in as a permanent citizen of the United States.
On 28 September 2006, Hali's mother Rachel arrived in
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
and currently lives with Tamba on a one-year
visa
Visa most commonly refers to:
*Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company
** Visa Debit card issued by the above company
** Visa Electron, a debit card
** Visa Plus, an interbank network
*Travel visa, a document that allows ...
. On 1 October, she saw her son play for the first time as the Chiefs shut out the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, 41–0.
Hali won the
Mack Lee Hill
Mack Lee Hill (August 17, 1940 – December 14, 1965) was an American football player, a running back at Southern University and for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs. He died suddenly after undergoing knee surgery, two days afte ...
award as the top Chiefs rookie for 2006. At the end of the
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League. Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006.
The season began with the reigning Super Bowl XL champion Pittsburgh defeating the Miami in t ...
, Hali led the Chiefs with eight sacks. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.
2007–2010
![2010playoffs ravens vs chiefs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/2010playoffs_ravens_vs_chiefs.jpg)
In 2007, Hali had 7.5 sacks to go along with 59 total tackles, two passes defensed, and two forced fumbles. Hali moved to right defensive end for the
2008 season, replacing
Jared Allen
Jared Scot Allen (born April 3, 1982) is a former American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He played college football at Idaho State and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth ...
. In the 2008 season, he had three sacks, 55 total tackles, two passes defensed, and three forced fumbles. In 2009, Hali was again moved—this time to outside linebacker—to accommodate new head coach
Todd Haley
Richard Todd Haley (born February 28, 1967) is an American football coach who is the current head coach and general manager for the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League (USFL). From 1997 to 2006, he had stints as the wide rec ...
's
3–4 defense. Hali's transformation from an undersized 4–3 DE to a 3–4 OLB was an amazing one considering his time in college as a defensive tackle. He finished the 2009 season with 8.5 sacks, 63 total tackles, one pass defensed, four forced fumbles, and scored a safety.
In 2010, the Chiefs hired a new defensive coordinator,
Romeo Crennel
Romeo Crennel (born June 18, 1947) is a former American football coach, who was the senior advisor for football performance for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). A former long-time coaching assistant to Bill Parcells, Cre ...
. He earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 3. Hali finished the season with an AFC-leading 14.5 sacks, leading to his first invitation to the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
, which he declined citing personal reasons. Chiefs' general manager
Scott Pioli
Scott Pioli (born March 31, 1965) is an American football executive who most recently worked as the Assistant General Manager for the Atlanta Falcons. He was an NFL analyst for NBC Sports' '' Football Night in America'', NBC Sports Network's Pro ...
made the signing of Hali to a long-term deal his top priority that off-season. Despite a
lockout
Lockout may refer to:
* Lockout (industry), a type of work stoppage
**Dublin Lockout, a major industrial dispute between approximately 20,000 workers and 300 employers 1913 - 1914
* Lockout (sports), lockout in sports leagues
**MLB lockout, lock ...
being in place, the two sides signed a five-year, $60 million contract ($35 million guaranteed) on 4 August 2011. He was ranked 64th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2011
The NFL Top 100 Players of 2011 was the first season of the series. It ended with reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the Nati ...
.
2011–2016
Hali repaid this loyalty with an All-Pro season, racking up a career-high 83 tackles and leading the team in sacks (12) for the fifth time in his six seasons as a Chief. He was named an
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
and selected to play in the
2012 Pro Bowl.
Hali started all 16 games in 2011 and finished second in sacks in the
AFC. He tied for third in the conference with four forced fumbles, a team-best 12 tackles for loss, and 31 quarterback pressures.
Hali moved into fourth place on the Chiefs' career sacks list that season.
He was ranked #34 his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2012
The NFL Top 100 Players of 2012 was the second season of the series. It ended with reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers being ranked #1, while Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football ...
.
On 20 August 2012, the NFL suspended Hali for one game for a violation of the league's substance abuse policy. On 26 December 2012, Hali was announced the starting outside linebacker for the AFC in the
2013 Pro Bowl. He finished the 2012 season with nine sacks, 51 total tackles, two passes defensed, and one forced fumble.
In the 2013 season, Hali started in 15 games. In 15 appearances, he had 46 tackles, of which 39 were solo. He had 11 sacks, five forced fumbles, and one interception. In the 2013 season, Hali earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Weeks 6 and 14. He earned his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod and was ranked 43rd by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2014. In the 2014 season, Hali started in all 16 games. He had 59 tackles, of which 47 were solo, six sacks, and three forced fumbles He earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 15. He earned his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl nomination and was ranked 70th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.
On 8 March 2015, Hali restructured his contract to free up $3 million in cap space to stay with the Chiefs. Throughout the off-season, it was believed Hali would be released. In the 2015 season, he had 6.5 sacks, 48 total tackles, one pass defensed, and two forced fumbles. Hali made the Pro Bowl for the fifth consecutive year and was ranked 84th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2016. On 8 March 2016, Hali signed a three-year contract to stay with the Chiefs. In the 2016 season, he had 3.5 sacks, 34 total tackles, and one fumble recovery.
2017 season
In 2017, Hali started the 2017 season on the
physically unable to perform
Physically unable to perform (PUP) is a roster designation used in the National Football League (NFL) for players who suffered injuries during football-related activities prior to the start of training camp. Players on the PUP list may participate ...
list due to an undisclosed injury that kept him out all of training camp and the preseason. He began practicing again on 2 November. The Chiefs had 21 days from the day he starts practicing to either activate him or place him on injured reserve. He was moved to the active roster on 4 November 2017, prior to the team's Week 9 game against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. He appeared in five games and had one tackle and one quarterback hit.
On 12 March 2018, Hali was released by the Chiefs after 12 seasons. He finished his tenure with the Chiefs second in team history in sacks behind only Hall of Fame linebacker
Derrick Thomas
Derrick Vincent Thomas (January 1, 1967 – February 8, 2000), nicknamed D.T., was an American football linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Considered one of the greatest pass rushers of all time, he p ...
. On 10 May 2021, Hali signed a one-day contract with the Chiefs to retire as a member of the team.
NFL career statistics
Personal life
Hali has an older half-brother, also named Tamba. This stems from a tradition in the
Kissi culture wherein the second son born to a woman is always named "Tamba".
On 8 January 2016, Hali's fiancé, Mary Glasgow, gave birth to their son, Tamba Hali II.
In his spare time, Hali writes
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
music; he records in a studio in his basement. On 9 June 2017, Hali released his single that was produced by
Masterkraft, "The One For Me", on
Apple Music
Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Apple M ...
.
Hali became a
U.S. citizen
Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...
on 31 July 2006.
Following his rookie year, Hali began training in
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...
under the instruction of
Rener Gracie and was promoted to
purple belt Purple Belt may refer to the following:
*Purple belt, a rank in martial arts (see Kyū)
**Purple belt (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), a level in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ranking system
*A road in the Allegheny County belt system#Purple_Belt, Allegheny County ...
in November 2017.
References
External links
Official website
"Hali Featured on Cover of ''The Sporting News''"gopsusports.com, 12 April 2006
"By the grace of God, I am alive."''
The Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
,'' 13 April 2006
"Hali getting mixed signals"northjersey.com, 24 April 2006
''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'', 1 March 2006
"The great escape: Hali travels amazing road to achieve football stardom,"''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'', 25 February 2006
"Hali wrecks Wisconsin to earn Player of Week award,"''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'', 6 November 2005
Hali gets sized for his first Chiefs jersey VIDEO
"Chiefs rookie Hali becomes U.S. citizen,"NFL.com, 1 August 2006
'Associated Press'', 20 December 2011.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hali, Tamba
1983 births
Living people
All-American college football players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
American football defensive ends
American football outside linebackers
American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
American people of Liberian descent
Doping cases in American football
Kansas City Chiefs players
Liberian players of American football
Penn State Nittany Lions football players
Players of American football from New Jersey
Sportspeople from Bergen County, New Jersey
Sportspeople from Monrovia
Teaneck High School alumni
Unconferenced Pro Bowl players