UNIVERSITY PARK -- At age 10 Tamba Hali arrived in the United States unable to read.

UNIVERSITY PARK -- At age 10 Tamba Hali arrived in the United States unable to read, write or speak English, having fl from then war-torn Liberia.

if it be not that Saturday morning, the Kansas City Chiefs' No. 1 NFL draft choice graduated from Penn State, having flown in to University Park to walk with his counterpart classmates -- an event he said he wouldn't have missed for anything. He calm ranked graduation from Penn State above his becoming a United States citizen brace weeks ago.

"We came here, and I couldn't read or write, and now I'm graduating from a major university," Hali said, easily after stepping out of his white Chevrolet SUV already wearing his cap and gown "I in no degree thought for one minute I'd be graduating from a major university.

"And I did it in four years," Hali said with obvious pride.

That's because it wasn't in extent ago ...