Chiefs Babb: Hali a player opponents notice

**Tribal Warfare** · 10-14-2009, 10:08 PM

Hali a player opponents notice
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

They know the stranger by number and not always by name, but they have learned to remember the new outside linebacker for the Chiefs.

Weeks pass. Opposing players who study the Chiefs always leave with the same impression.

“The guy we’ve been looking for is 91,” Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said before his team’s regular-season opener against Kansas City.

He’s not the only quarterback who noticed Tamba Hali, whose jersey number is 91, while studying film.

“Ninety-one,” Dallas quarterback Tony Romo said last week, “is a good player.”

Coaches, too.

“Ninety-one is as good a player as you’re going to see,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He just goes and goes and goes so hard.”

Months ago, the Chiefs weren’t sure about Hali. They didn’t know how he’d react to the change. Hali was a defensive end for his first three seasons, and he had once played that position well enough to be the Chiefs’ first-round pick in 2006. He was terrific alongside Jared Allen his first two seasons; Hali never minded taking advantage of an opportunity when teams double-teamed Allen, the Chiefs’ former right defensive end.

Then Allen was gone — traded in an infamous deal before the NFL draft in 2008. That shifted the attention toward Hali last season, and he slid to the right side to take Allen’s spot. Without the help and stuck in a defense that accumulated 10 sacks, the lowest number in NFL history for a team playing a 16-game regular season, Hali set career lows in tackles and sacks.

Was Hali like the others? Another first-round defensive lineman, another bust? The questions followed him, and they wouldn’t let up.

The Chiefs needed a change. Hali did, too. But first-year coach Todd Haley was talking about something drastic. Haley wanted to shift the Chiefs’ defense to the 3-4 scheme, and that meant Hali and other linemen would move to outside linebacker.

“Not easy,” said Andy Studebaker, another longtime end who moved to linebacker to accommodate the new defense. “Not everybody is going to make it.”

Pass rushing had never been Hali’s problem. He was quick, determined and skilled. But now the Chiefs were asking him to cover receivers, something that looked peculiar considering his proximity to 300 pounds and that Hali had been a lineman for years.

Hali, 25, kept working, but he stopped talking. He had always been so affable and chatty, and then he went silent. Hali told reporters during training camp that he wouldn’t speak publicly until the team returned to Kansas City. Then, after an outstanding preseason, he declared that he was extending his vow of silence through the regular season, too.

The questions were back. Was he uncomfortable in his new position? Angry for being moved? Unhappy with all the changes the Chiefs had made, some of which were, in effect, putting his career at risk?

“I just want to do my job,” Hali told The Star on Wednesday, during a rare but revealing discussion.

He wouldn’t agree to be interviewed, but he said there were two reasons for the quiet. He said he hates to discuss losing, which the Chiefs have done plenty of in his time and is the finish line for most conversations about the team. Hali said his other reason was that he doesn’t need additional distractions as he continues to adjust to his new position. He said he preferred to streamline his focus, and any outside discussion could only slow his progress.

Hali said he preferred to let Haley do the talking for him, and the coach did that Wednesday. Hali, one of the most glaring questions entering this season, has emerged as one of the Chiefs’ most reliable defenders.

“He knew this was going to be a difficult transition,” Haley said. “He took it with open arms. He’s worked his butt off. It’s hard to find anybody who’s worked harder than him in all areas, physically and in the film room.

“He’s the type of guy we’re looking for around here. The more of those (players) that we can get around here, the better off we’ll be.”

Haley said he likes that Hali’s energy level and approach never seem weakened. Hali never requires the threats or public jabs that so many other defenders have provoked from Haley, and Haley said Wednesday that Hali’s work ethic leaves an impression on not only the Chiefs’ staff but also his teammates.

“Tamba does everything a hundred miles an hour,” defensive end Glenn Dorsey said. “If you ain’t giving it in practice, he’s going to tell you.”

Haley said it doesn’t matter that Hali’s statistics aren’t overwhelming. His coverage skills have improved, and Haley said Hali’s pass-rushing ability forces offenses to adjust — or do “things that don’t look so legal to get him stopped,” Haley said.

Still, Hali has two sacks, one fewer than last year’s season total. He has become the cornerstone of what is right with the Chiefs’ defense, even during a season in which so much seems unsettled. Others have noticed. Some outsiders have even begun to know the stranger by more than just his number.

“Hay-lee is playing pretty good,” Washington running back Clinton Portis said Wednesday. “Hah-lee, however you pronounce his name.”

In the Chiefs’ locker room Wednesday, Studebaker laughed when he heard that. If they don’t know Hali now, Studebaker said, they will soon.

“They’re looking at Tamba’s explosiveness and quickness and his ability to use his hands well,” Studebaker said. “He’s making that change pretty nicely.

“They know his name. Don’t let them fool you. They know his name. They know who he is.”

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-14-2009, 10:08 PM

Unfortunately, he's the only one...

Direckshun · 10-14-2009, 10:09 PM

I think the header's hilarious.

Not "fear," or "respect"....

"Notice."

I suppose it's nice to be noticed.

**DeezNutz** · 10-14-2009, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

“He’s the type of guy we’re looking for around here. The more of those (players) that we can get around here, the better off we’ll be.”

We'd win a lot of games with 53 Tamba Halis. /Buddy Haley/

Sure-Oz · 10-14-2009, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

We'd win a lot of games with 53 Tamba Halis. /Buddy Haley/

**tyler360** · 10-14-2009, 10:12 PM

I have to hand it to Hali I thought he would look like total garbage at linebacker. He has not at all. He has not been an all pro but he has been good enough

Direckshun · 10-14-2009, 10:13 PM

"I gotta be honest, when I play against the Chiefs, I acknowledge the existence of Tamba Hali!"

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-14-2009, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

"I gotta be honest, when I play against the Chiefs, I acknowledge the existence of Tamba Hali!"

We all have to take a shit, sometime.

Direckshun · 10-14-2009, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

We all have to take a shit, sometime.

EASY THERE BILLY MAYS. JFC!

B_Ambuehl · 10-15-2009, 12:36 AM

Hes always been one of those guys who looks good doing very little. That's not an insult to him, but watching his burst off the line and motor it's hard to fathom how a guy like that could be so ineffective statswise for almost 4 years, but the numbers don't lie. Some guys just don't have it. Other guys look almost nonchalant and lazy off the ball but always seem to put up big number year in and year out. I've always thought Greg Ellis was that type of player. You watch him play and nothing jumps out at you whatsoever, but the games over and he has 2 sacks.

Saccopoo · 10-15-2009, 12:54 AM

Hali is ideally suited as a LDE in a 4-3, but the guy is a gamer and a hustler and it's nice to have a guy like that on the team - somebody who is, at the very least, trying his ass off. His forced fumbles numbers attest to this. I know that the guy is out of position, but I'll take a guy who is at least busting his ass all game over a talented but lazy ass all day long.

The ****ing Johnson boys should take a cue from Mr. Hali.

**TinyEvel** · 10-15-2009, 12:57 AM

Hali has a lot of near misses. It seems like almost five times a game he is 2 feet away from getting a sack and either whiffs or falls down or the QB scrambles away.

I would call him "no cigar" Hali

Chiefs=Champions · 10-15-2009, 03:34 AM

Well if we can get another pass rusher to help him out i think he could be pretty good for us.

BigRock · 10-15-2009, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TinyEvel

Hali has a lot of near misses. It seems like almost five times a game he is 2 feet away from getting a sack and either whiffs or falls down or the QB scrambles away.

I would call him "no cigar" Hali

On a play on Sunday, Troy Aikman said something like "Tamba Hali was just a step short of the sack", which sounded like an excellent title for his autobiography one day.

One Step Short: The Tamba Hali Story

Hootie · 10-15-2009, 04:09 AM

strike 59 for the drafturbators

10-14-2009, 10:08 PM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-3007187	Babb: Hali a player opponents notice Hali a player opponents notice By KENT BABB The Kansas City Star They know the stranger by number and not always by name, but they have learned to remember the new outside linebacker for the Chiefs. Weeks pass. Opposing players who study the Chiefs always leave with the same impression. “The guy we’ve been looking for is 91,” Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said before his team’s regular-season opener against Kansas City. He’s not the only quarterback who noticed Tamba Hali, whose jersey number is 91, while studying film. “Ninety-one,” Dallas quarterback Tony Romo said last week, “is a good player.” Coaches, too. “Ninety-one is as good a player as you’re going to see,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He just goes and goes and goes so hard.” Months ago, the Chiefs weren’t sure about Hali. They didn’t know how he’d react to the change. Hali was a defensive end for his first three seasons, and he had once played that position well enough to be the Chiefs’ first-round pick in 2006. He was terrific alongside Jared Allen his first two seasons; Hali never minded taking advantage of an opportunity when teams double-teamed Allen, the Chiefs’ former right defensive end. Then Allen was gone — traded in an infamous deal before the NFL draft in 2008. That shifted the attention toward Hali last season, and he slid to the right side to take Allen’s spot. Without the help and stuck in a defense that accumulated 10 sacks, the lowest number in NFL history for a team playing a 16-game regular season, Hali set career lows in tackles and sacks. Was Hali like the others? Another first-round defensive lineman, another bust? The questions followed him, and they wouldn’t let up. The Chiefs needed a change. Hali did, too. But first-year coach Todd Haley was talking about something drastic. Haley wanted to shift the Chiefs’ defense to the 3-4 scheme, and that meant Hali and other linemen would move to outside linebacker. “Not easy,” said Andy Studebaker, another longtime end who moved to linebacker to accommodate the new defense. “Not everybody is going to make it.” Pass rushing had never been Hali’s problem. He was quick, determined and skilled. But now the Chiefs were asking him to cover receivers, something that looked peculiar considering his proximity to 300 pounds and that Hali had been a lineman for years. Hali, 25, kept working, but he stopped talking. He had always been so affable and chatty, and then he went silent. Hali told reporters during training camp that he wouldn’t speak publicly until the team returned to Kansas City. Then, after an outstanding preseason, he declared that he was extending his vow of silence through the regular season, too. The questions were back. Was he uncomfortable in his new position? Angry for being moved? Unhappy with all the changes the Chiefs had made, some of which were, in effect, putting his career at risk? “I just want to do my job,” Hali told The Star on Wednesday, during a rare but revealing discussion. He wouldn’t agree to be interviewed, but he said there were two reasons for the quiet. He said he hates to discuss losing, which the Chiefs have done plenty of in his time and is the finish line for most conversations about the team. Hali said his other reason was that he doesn’t need additional distractions as he continues to adjust to his new position. He said he preferred to streamline his focus, and any outside discussion could only slow his progress. Hali said he preferred to let Haley do the talking for him, and the coach did that Wednesday. Hali, one of the most glaring questions entering this season, has emerged as one of the Chiefs’ most reliable defenders. “He knew this was going to be a difficult transition,” Haley said. “He took it with open arms. He’s worked his butt off. It’s hard to find anybody who’s worked harder than him in all areas, physically and in the film room. “He’s the type of guy we’re looking for around here. The more of those (players) that we can get around here, the better off we’ll be.” Haley said he likes that Hali’s energy level and approach never seem weakened. Hali never requires the threats or public jabs that so many other defenders have provoked from Haley, and Haley said Wednesday that Hali’s work ethic leaves an impression on not only the Chiefs’ staff but also his teammates. “Tamba does everything a hundred miles an hour,” defensive end Glenn Dorsey said. “If you ain’t giving it in practice, he’s going to tell you.” Haley said it doesn’t matter that Hali’s statistics aren’t overwhelming. His coverage skills have improved, and Haley said Hali’s pass-rushing ability forces offenses to adjust — or do “things that don’t look so legal to get him stopped,” Haley said. Still, Hali has two sacks, one fewer than last year’s season total. He has become the cornerstone of what is right with the Chiefs’ defense, even during a season in which so much seems unsettled. Others have noticed. Some outsiders have even begun to know the stranger by more than just his number. “Hay-lee is playing pretty good,” Washington running back Clinton Portis said Wednesday. “Hah-lee, however you pronounce his name.” In the Chiefs’ locker room Wednesday, Studebaker laughed when he heard that. If they don’t know Hali now, Studebaker said, they will soon. “They’re looking at Tamba’s explosiveness and quickness and his ability to use his hands well,” Studebaker said. “He’s making that change pretty nicely. “They know his name. Don’t let them fool you. They know his name. They know who he is.”
Posts: 43,454

10-14-2009, 10:08 PM	#2
DaneMcCloud Supporter Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Hollywood, CA Casino cash: $10053648	Unfortunately, he's the only one...
Posts: 88,960

10-14-2009, 10:09 PM	#3
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2033447	I think the header's hilarious. Not "fear," or "respect".... "Notice." I suppose it's nice to be noticed.
Posts: 59,693

10-14-2009, 10:12 PM	#6
tyler360 Supporter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $-2222123	I have to hand it to Hali I thought he would look like total garbage at linebacker. He has not at all. He has not been an all pro but he has been good enough
Posts: 1,560

10-14-2009, 10:13 PM	#7
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2033447	"I gotta be honest, when I play against the Chiefs, I acknowledge the existence of Tamba Hali!"
Posts: 59,693

10-15-2009, 12:36 AM	#10
B_Ambuehl Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Casino cash: $9705405	Hes always been one of those guys who looks good doing very little. That's not an insult to him, but watching his burst off the line and motor it's hard to fathom how a guy like that could be so ineffective statswise for almost 4 years, but the numbers don't lie. Some guys just don't have it. Other guys look almost nonchalant and lazy off the ball but always seem to put up big number year in and year out. I've always thought Greg Ellis was that type of player. You watch him play and nothing jumps out at you whatsoever, but the games over and he has 2 sacks.
Posts: 2,613

10-15-2009, 12:54 AM	#11
Saccopoo Kindness in words... Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Zion Casino cash: $10025483	Hali is ideally suited as a LDE in a 4-3, but the guy is a gamer and a hustler and it's nice to have a guy like that on the team - somebody who is, at the very least, trying his ass off. His forced fumbles numbers attest to this. I know that the guy is out of position, but I'll take a guy who is at least busting his ass all game over a talented but lazy ass all day long. The ****ing Johnson boys should take a cue from Mr. Hali.
Posts: 15,450

10-15-2009, 12:57 AM	#12
TinyEvel Just a li'l Evel Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Bald. Goatee. Jorts. Casino cash: $2229601	Hali has a lot of near misses. It seems like almost five times a game he is 2 feet away from getting a sack and either whiffs or falls down or the QB scrambles away. I would call him "no cigar" Hali
Posts: 12,324

10-15-2009, 03:34 AM	#13
Chiefs=Champions Training Camp Hero Join Date: Oct 2006 Casino cash: $7974801	Well if we can get another pass rusher to help him out i think he could be pretty good for us.
Posts: 6,001

10-15-2009, 04:09 AM	#15
Hootie Banned Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Dallas, Texas Casino cash: $10004900	strike 59 for the drafturbators
Posts: 56,356