Tamba Hali was born in Liberia. He came to the United States when he was 10 years old and could barely speak the English language. His mother Rachel Keita still lives in Liberia which can be dangerous at times. She was caught in the middle of gunfire and shot in the knee last year. Hali rarely gets to talk to his mother but he is working to bring her to the United States. He has had trouble in that area since he is not legally a U.S. citizen due to a mistake his father made on the paperwork. Hali began playing football in high school. He was also a member of the basketball team at Teaneck High School. As a junior, Hali recorded 45 tackles and 12 sacks. His senior year Tamba totaled 64 tackles and 8 sacks on his way to All-American honors. He was considered to be one of the top three defensive line prospects in the nation and he accepted a scholarship to play at Penn State. Hali was one of only three true freshmen who saw playing time in 2002, totaling just 10 tackles while playing behind future NFL players such as: Jimmy Kennedy, Michael Haynes, and Anthony Adams. He started 11 games at defensive tackle as a sophomore, picking up 53 tackles and one sack on the year, despite being plagued by little nagging injuries most of the season. As a junior, Hali was moved to his natural position, defensive end. He responded with another solid season of 51 tackles, two sacks, and was named second team all-big ten. His senior season was a breakout year for Hali. He finally came into his own as a pass rusher, picking up 11 sacks to go along with his career high 62 tackles.

Tamba Hali is a versatile player who has started at both defensive tackle and defensive end over the course of his career at Penn State. He has a good deal of experience having started three of his four seasons in college. He is an excellent athlete with a good combination of strength and speed. Hali is an excellent leader and an extremely hard worker who is constantly striving for improvement. He has a quick first step which allows him to beat most offensive tackles off the snap of the ball. He has no trouble getting into the backfield to make plays. He improved as a pass rusher his senior year and he needs to continue to refine his pass rush technique. He does have excellent closing speed getting to the quarterback. He is also an excellent run stopper who displays good tackling technique. His speed allows him to chase runningbacks down from behind in the backfield. He has a non-stop motor and gives his all on every single down. Tamba lacks ideal size for a defensive end and bigger linemen can give him problems at times; however, he is a very talented defensive end who still has not realized his full potential. He is a sure first day pick who has a chance to be drafted as high as round one in April.