Kansas City Chiefs newly signed free agent defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga talks with the media during an NFL football news conference Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. Colin E Braley, Associated Press
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga was featured in a recent video shared by the Kansas City Chiefs as part of its social media video series, “Under the Helmet.”
The Chiefs defensive tackle used the opportunity to talk about his faith and his missionary service for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“My journey on faith started with my family,” he said. “So I’m adopted, and I got adopted in high school. And the family that adopted me introduced me to faith and God and that became basically who I was. And since then, that’s been something that I’ve always leaned on.”
Tonga grew up in West Valley City, Utah. After he and his mom were evicted, he stayed with friends, according to The Purple Insider, a Minnesota Vikings publication.
One of the friends he stayed with was his best friend, whose parents, George and Siu Tonga, adopted Khyiris Tonga during his senior year of high school.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III (9) is congratulated by teammates quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga (92) after scoring a touchdown against the Denver Broncos during the second half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. | Reed Hoffmann, Associated Press
“The fact that they took me in the way they did at the age I was in high school and they never made me feel any different than any of their kids, (is) probably like the most important part to me, and (I) love them like they’re my own parents,” he said in the Chiefs video.
His ‘full-circle’ mission moment
Khyiris Tonga served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ in Wichita, Kansas. Nearly a decade later, he’s playing in Kansas City, Missouri.
“I try to be a light to everyone around me,” he said. “It’s crazy, it’s full-circle. I served here in Kansas from 2015 to 2017 and haven’t been back since so the fact that I’m here, around here, is such a surreal feeling for me.”
Kansas City Chiefs nose tackle Khyiris Tonga practices during NFL football training camp Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in St. Joseph, Mo. | Charlie Riedel, Associated Press
The former BYU Cougar told The Purple Insider that he originally wasn’t excited about serving in Kansas. But it grew on him, and he said, he “loved every second there.”
“Spiritually and mentally it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done because I was away from family,” he said.
Khyiris Tonga’s time with the Chiefs
Khyiris Tonga joined the Chiefs in the offseason, signing a three-year deal. His new head coach and teammates have picked up on his ability to push through the hard.
At the news of his signing, the Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones called his new teammate “a dawg.”
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid praised Tonga’s mentality early this season after he deployed Tonga on offense during the Chiefs’ 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos.
“The fourth quarter he had a lot of reps,” Reid said. “He probably got a little tired there, but he’s not going to say anything. He just kind of keeps going, but I looked at the look on his face and he was pretty tired.”
That sentiment of “keeps going” is the advice Khyiris Tonga would give to himself, he said in the video.
“If I could tell myself one thing and give myself advice, I’d probably just say, ‘Continue to move forward. It’s a marathon. Just keep going.’”
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga comes onto the field during introductions before an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. | Colin E Braley, Associated Press