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Tonka Hemingway

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Tonka Hemingway
No. 97 – Las Vegas Raiders
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (2001-10-31) October 31, 2001 (age 23)
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:284 lb (129 kg)
Career information
High school:Conway
College:South Carolina (2020–2024)
NFL draft:2025: 4th round, 135th pick
Career history
Roster status:Active
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Terrell H. "Tonka" Hemingway (born October 31, 2001) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was selected by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Early life and high school

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Hemingway was born on October 31, 2001 in Conway, South Carolina.[1] He attended Conway High School, where he lettered in football, basketball and baseball.[2] As a senior, he notched 92 tackles with 24 being for a loss.[3] Coming out of high school, Hemingway committed to play college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks.[4]

College career

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During the 2020 season, Hemingway tallied 16 tackles with one being for a loss, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble.[5] In the 2021 season, he played in six games and had six tackles.[6] In 2022, Hemingway tallied 33 tackles with eight being for a loss, four sacks, a pass deflection, and two fumble recoveries.[7] In week 12 of the 2023 season, he had the game-winning fumble recovery against Kentucky.[8] Hemingway finished the season making 32 tackles with four and a half being for a loss, a sack and a half, seven pass deflections, and two fumble recoveries.[9]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 2+78 in
(1.90 m)
284 lb
(129 kg)
33 in
(0.84 m)
9 in
(0.23 m)
5.01 s 1.89 s 2.87 s 4.48 s 7.36 s 32.0 in
(0.81 m)
9 ft 4 in
(2.84 m)
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[10][11][12]

Hemingway was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth round (135th overall) at the 2025 NFL draft.[13]

Personal life

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Hemingway is the younger brother of former NFL wide receiver, Junior Hemingway.[14][15]

References

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  1. ^ Brugler, Dane. "The Beast: 2025 NFL Draft Guide" (PDF). The Athletic. p. 365. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  2. ^ Biesk, Audrey (April 16, 2019). "Student Spotlight: Conway High School junior masters three sports at once". WMBF-TV. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  3. ^ Breiner, Ben. "The voice of experience, NFL background helping guide incoming four-star Gamecock". The State. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  4. ^ Lundeen, T.J. "Tonka in tow! Gamecocks lock down another four-star defensive lineman for 2020". The State. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  5. ^ "Tonka Hemingway 2020 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  6. ^ Veltri, Jake (December 4, 2023). "Tonka Hemingway set to return to South Carolina next season". On3.com. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  7. ^ Veltri, Jake (July 17, 2023). "Senior Bowl's Jim Nagy shares why Tonka Hemingway is a 'sleeper name' for next year's NFL Draft". On3.com. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  8. ^ Kern, Mark (November 18, 2023). "Tonka Hemingway makes game-changing late fumble recovery against Kentucky". Saturday Down South. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  9. ^ Kaye, Jordan. "South Carolina's Tonka Hemingway delivers great news for the Gamecocks". The State. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  10. ^ "Tonka Hemingway Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  11. ^ "Tonka Hemingway College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  12. ^ "South Carolina 2025 Pro Day Results" (PDF). gamecocksonline.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  13. ^ "Raiders select DT Tonka Hemingway with the No. 135 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft". Raiders.com. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  14. ^ Kendall, Josh (May 7, 2021). "Nature or nurture? It's a little bit of both for South Carolina's emerging defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway". The Athletic. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  15. ^ Breiner, Ben. "One Gamecocks freshman showing the mindset to be a longtime program staple". The State. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
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