Tamba Hali to Be Inducted Into Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame, Ring of Honor

The Kansas City Chiefs will highlight a former defensive star in 2024, inducting former linebacker and defensive end Tamba Hali into the Chiefs Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor.

Jan 6, 2018; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Tamba Hali (91). / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs will be honoring a former star this fall, as the team announced that they will induct former Chiefs linebacker/defensive end Tamba Hali into the Chiefs Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor later this year.

Hali was a first-round draft pick in 2006 and remained with the Chiefs through his final season in 2017, spending all 12 years in Kansas City while making five Pro Bowls and racking up 89.5 sacks in 177 regular-season games with the Chiefs.

Watching Tamba Hali terrorize Phil Rivers was one of the most fun things about Chiefs football for a number of years. pic.twitter.com/H1xGDNsk65

— Seth Keysor (@RealMNchiefsfan) May 10, 2021

In the team's announcement, Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt discussed Hali's storied career and his impact in the community on and off the field.

"My family and I are thrilled to announce Tamba Hali as this year's inductee into the Chiefs Hall of Fame," Hunt said. "From the day we drafted Tamba in 2006, he has inspired our fans with electrifying performances on the field and outstanding character off the field. Throughout his illustrious career, Tamba was respected and admired by his teammates, as he moved from defensive end to outside linebacker in his fourth season and quickly became a Pro Bowler. His stats speak for themselves, establishing him as one of the great defensive players in Chiefs history. And he is perhaps even more impressive off the field. Tamba's remarkable personal journey has molded a man of integrity, resilience and determination. He has given back to the community in Kansas City, in New Jersey, and in his childhood home of Liberia. Chiefs Kingdom, all around the world, is cheering for him today."

The team's press release highlights Hali's story and his unlikely path to the NFL.

"As impactful as Hali was on the field, his influence reached even further in his off-the-field efforts," the story reads. "Hali, the Chiefs 2014 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee, was born in Liberia in 1983, a country that was thrown into civil war while he was a child. He fled the country and came to the United States when he was 10 years old but has never forgotten his roots. Throughout the years he has used his position and platform to spread awareness of the needs in West Africa. His dedication to the area has not stopped at words alone as he has donated tens-of-thousands of dollars to causes in the region. In 2014 he donated $50,000 to construct a 70-bed Ebola treatment unit as the disease devastated communities in the region."

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