The Chiefs will host the Chargers at Arrowhead in the SNF, but Sunday isn’t just about football—it’s about celebrating a legend. Former linebacker Tamba Hali is finally getting his well-deserved spot in the Chiefs’ Ring of Honor. And honestly, what better way to spice up halftime than honoring a guy who lived and breathed football like it was his only gear? More like a lifeline jacket thrown toward him at a time when all seemed torn. 

If you have doubts as to why Hali? Well, Andy Reid is not letting you have ’em. He put it straight and simple: “100 miles per hour every play—practice, game—that’s how he rolled.” That’s Tamba for you. A first-round pick out of Penn State in 2006, Hali spent all 12 of his pro seasons in Kansas City. That’s 177 games worth of loyalty. His 89.5 career sacks still sit at second in franchise history. Absolute tank, right?

But you’d think, surely there’s more to it… I mean, yes, hard work and determination are there, but back in 2011, the Guardian felt the same urge to ask his back story. And it’s not for the faint-hearted. His story is as gritty as a fourth-and-one goal-line stand.

Born in war-torn Liberia, he escaped the chaos as a child and eventually reunited with his mother after 12 long years apart. Tamba collected all the suffering in his gear bag and decided to take it everywhere with him. First to Penn State and then to Kansas. Only to let it all out on the gridiron. Now, that’s what you call redefining the word grit!

He found a home away from his home in Kansas. At the time, when he needed to escape from all the past, the Chiefs saw something in him that no one did. Guess that’s why, even in retirement, Hali hasn’t hit the brakes. He’s been mentoring the Chiefs’ young defensive linemen, like George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah, with lessons in both pass-rushing and Jiu-Jitsu. “For me, it brings joy,” Hali said. “It feels like I’m always part of the team.”

Sunday’s ceremony will be packed with former Chiefs players—nearly 100, to be exact—all there to celebrate Hali’s impact. And if you’re heading to Arrowhead, don’t miss him hyping the crowd as the Drum Honoree before kickoff. You know that stadium is going to erupt.

As Kansas embraced him, Hali gave most of the credit to Andy Reid for bringing a culture that was lost in all the noise.

Tamba Hali will never forget what Andy Reid brought to Kansas

When you think of the Chiefs‘ success in the recent past, it’s impossible not to connect the dots between their past decade of Championship runs and Andy Reid. Now, he’s got his men chasing after the unprecedented 3-PEAT! But even Coach Reid needed a team to build that. And one of the players he got was in Tamba Hali. The pass-rusher who served Kansas with everything he had. However, even after his retirement, Hali can’t seem to overlook how Reid “changed the entire culture.”

Back in 2022 (a year after he hung his cleats), during an appearance on the Upon Further Review podcast, Hali didn’t hold back. “Andy (Reid) is a whole different way of… the way he approached the game is way different than a lot of coaches,” he said. And let’s be real—how many coaches do you know who inspire players to describe them with that much reverence?

Hali credits Reid not just for turning around the Chiefs but for letting players shine in their own way as he said: “He allows personality to flare.” It’s like the Chiefs went from struggling to complete a first down to orchestrating, ‘GAME. SET. MATCH.’ week in and week out. For Hali, who was a 30-year-old veteran when Reid arrived, those years under Reid were transformative. And he has three straight Pro Bowl nods to show for it.

Though Hali’s time on the field has passed, his love for the Chiefs hasn’t faded. And that’s what Kansas will celebrate on Sunday. That’s who the Kingdom will honor with the Red and Gold confetti. It’s time, we remember the name and that’s what the induction is there for.