| Name: |
Tamba Hali |
| Position: |
DE / OT |
| Height: |
6'3" |
| Weight: |
250 pounds |
| 40-yard dash: |
4.8 |
| School: |
Teaneck High, Teaneck, New Jersey |
Tamba is still recovering from his team's loss this past Saturday.
"We just lost in the first round of the playoffs to Emerson," Tamba
said. "It was a real intense game. They had us down 22-7 in the
first half, but we came back to tie it at 22, to go into overtime. In
overtime, they scored on the first pass, but they didn't make the extra
point. We got the ball, driving it down their throats, to the 13.
Then, the coach called a passing play. We threw the ball, but it got
intercepted."
Teaneck's regular season record was 6-2. They have only the
Thanksgiving game remaining.
Tamba can now get back to the process of taking his official visits..
"I went to one already, Southern Cal, and I know I'm going to Penn State
and Syracuse. USC was on September 29. Penn State will be December
7, or, it could be sooner since we lost. I have to talk to my coach.
"We didn't schedule [a visit to Syracuse], but I know I'm going to take
it. They said I could visit anytime after December 1, which was when our
championship game was supposed to be. Since things didn't work out like we
planned, my coach and I are going to talk about it and see if I can go earlier.
The remaining visits will go to "Maryland, and most likely
Tennessee".
"It'll probably be either Florida or Tennessee for my last visit."
Penn State is still one of Tamba's top teams.
"Penn State and Syracuse. Those schools are great. When I
went to camp at Syracuse, I liked their facilities, they had the major I wanted
and also the players were nice. I talked with a couple of them. I
talked with Dwight Freeney (DE). He told me a lot about the school. I also
talked to one of their linemen, their starting right tackle I think, and he told
me I would like it if I come there.
"And, the coaching staff at Penn State, the same as Syracuse, is just
'off the hook'. I really like the coaching staff. They look
interested, they want me to come in, and they want me to play.
"Syracuse has been saying that they think I'm the man that can come in
there and play right away after Dwight Freeney. They're not saying they're
going to give it to me. They say I have to earn it, but they feel like
that's going to happen.
Tamba is a fan of Coach Fran Ganter, and did admit to calling Coach Ganter on
occasion.
"He's a nice person. He's been looking at me since my sophomore
year. They couldn't talk to me, but he was looking at tapes. I was
the best sophomore in the state, so McCarthy (the McCarthy Report) came and took
pictures and sent tapes all around the nation. He's been looking at me
since then, and I started talking with him and thought he was a great man.
I like him, and I like Coach Larry Johnson there also. They offered me
right after my junior year.
"They also told my coach that 'we feel the kid could come in here and
play'. They didn't say 'we are going to give him a starting
position'. From the film they've seen, and the game they watched, they
feel I can come in there and make an impact."
Tamba attended a summer camp at Syracuse at the end of June. He's been
to Penn State twice, for the Blue-White game and the Miami game..
"Those would probably be the top 2 choices, and Maryland, because I went
to Maryland for their junior day.
"I like USC also, I really do. I went there and fell in love with
the place, but I told them I'm looking at other schools. I told them that
I really like this place, it's one of my best choices, and if Penn State doesn't
work out, if I take another visit and don't like it, and [take a visit to]
Syracuse and I don't like it, I'm coming here."
USC's major disadvantage is that it is far from his home. Tamba would
like to play relatively close to home.
According to Tamba, he is being recruited to play DE.
Tamba is looking forward to making the most of his collegiate opportunity.
"I just want to go in there and play, and be a great player. I
want to set my goals high, and I want to go to the next level, to the NFL.
I'm going there to study and get my degree also."
He would like to major in either Computer Web Design or Computer Science.