Tamba Hali signs one-day contract to retire with the Chiefs

Tamba Hali might not be one of the more popular NFL players, but his story sure is inspirational. The linebacker, who was a standout at Penn State, signed a one-day deal with the Kansas City Chiefs to retire with the team that drafted him.

Who is Tamba Hali?

Tamba Hali was born in Liberia and was just ten years old when his mother sent him to the United States to escape the civil war in their home country.

Hali began playing football in high school and realized that if he could excel at the sport that he could make a living out of it. His goal was to make enough money to move his mother to the US.

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Hali was an All-American defensive end while playing at Teaneck High School in New Jersey and was ranked the fifth-best linebacker in the country. The four-star recruit committed to play football at Penn State University under legendary head coach Joe Paterno.

Hali was a four-year starter and was named an All-American and Big Ten defensive lineman of the year in 2005. In his senior season, the Nittany Lions won the Big Ten title with a 11-1 record and then won the Orange Bowl, defeating Bobby Bowden and the Florida State Seminoles.

Tamba Hali declared for the 2006 NFL draft and was selected with the 20th overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs. After being drafted, Hali became a citizen of the United States and in September 2006, he was able to bring his mother to the US.

Reuniting after thirteen years, Hali's mother was able to watch him play football for the first time. In his rookie season, he led the Chiefs with eight sacks and was named in the NFL's All-Rookie team.

In his 11-year NFL career, Tamba Hali made it to the Pro Bowl six times. A lingering knee injury prevented Hali from seeing significant game time in the 2017 season and he was subsequently released by the Chiefs. Hali's 89.5 sacks are the second-most by a player in Chiefs history, being Derrick Thomas' 126.5.

Injury concerns prevented Hali from playing in the NFL since being released by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017. The linebacker finally decided to file his retirement paperwork and hence, the Chiefs signed him to a one-day deal so he could retire as part of the organization.

A fitting conclusion to a storied career.

About the author

Bethany Cohen is an NFL writer at Sportskeeda, with a rich prior 15-year experience in the sports writing industry, primarily covering the MLB and MiLB. She majored in Communications from the University of South Florida and has previously worked for top companies such as Examiner.com and Legends on Deck.

Bethany owes her NFL allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers owing to their long-standing tradition and competitiveness. She is a fan of old stalwarts such as Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris and would love to watch them in the 1970s if she manages to get her hand on a time machine. She also acknowledges the greatness of modern icons like T.J. Watt for his desire to continuously improve despite being on top. She admires coaches Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid for their longevity and success.

The ace reporter credits her knowledge and love for the sport to be her biggest reporting strengths. Prior fact-checking is a big component of her process and she always scours through additional sources to ensure complete accuracy in her content.

Super Bowl XLIII, when the Steelers won the the grand prize after Santonio Holmes’ epic catch in the end zone with just seconds left on the clock is etched in Bethany’s memory forever. When she is free of her professional commitments, she likes to attend sports events and music concerts.

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