Penn State Football: Tamba Hali represents underrated pass rusher
Tamba Hali quietly built an impressive career in Kansas City. The former Penn State football star may not receive the press because he doesn’t showboat.
Pass rushers usually become high-paid stars that take almost celebrity status across the NFL. Current players like Von Miller, Michael Bennett, Aaron Donald, etcetera carry big personalities. It’s just a part of the position, but some players take a quieter approach. Former Penn State football star Tamba Hali embodies this description.
It’s not that Hali isn’t regarded as a great pass rusher and defensive player. His career just didn’t receive the same hype. The Kansas City Chiefs represent the lunch pail to work mentality. In the same sense, Hali operated the same way.
For instance, he went 20th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft dominated by names like Reggie Bush, Mario Williams and Vince Young. Those players received all the media attention, but Hali entered with his own brilliant resume.
The Penn State football great compiled 36 career tackles for loss. In his senior year alone, Hali recorded 65 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 2005 helping Penn State win the Orange Bowl. Furthermore, he earned All-American honors and the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year Award. So, he certainly boasted the accolades to be a great player.
NFL Stardom
Once drafted by Kansas City, Hali made an immediate impact recording 58 tackles and eight sacks in 2006. From there, his career lifted off to All-Pro (two-times) and Pro Bowl (five-times) levels. During that time, Hali became the main pass rusher for the Chiefs for nearly a decade. He’s managed to record 89.5 sacks in that time and 33 forced fumbles.
His career passed without some remembering his great career. But since he’s in the final stretch of his NFL tenure, he deserves some recognition. This versatile pass rusher starred as both a defensive end and an outside linebacker. Although he’s seeing less and less time, he brought down quarterbacks at an average rate of almost nine sacks per season.
To see him come from a civil war-ravaged country in Liberia to NFL star is a heck of an achievement. He went about his business in a professional way that made Penn State football fans proud to call him their own.
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Even though his time with the Kansas City Chiefs is coming to a possible close, he’s had a highly underrated career. One that’s deserving of more press, but if it isn’t he’s got a strong contingent of Nittany Lion faithful that root for him.