Raiders Q&A: ‘Devil’s Baby’ Tonka Hemingway discusses rookie season

Raiders fourth-round pick Tonka Hemingway didn’t need to look far for athletic inspiration.

His older brother Junior Hemingway starred at Michigan before playing three seasons with the Chiefs, and his two sisters were college athletes.

So he knew all about the process of earning playing time and trusting the process before he arrived in an NFL locker room.

Hemingway, a defensive tackle who played at South Carolina, has been battling for more opportunities all season as his rookie season winds down.

The 24-year-old is coming off perhaps his best game with two tackles, including one for a loss, and a quarterback hit against the Texans.

He sat down with the Review-Journal to discuss his athletic family, being a COVID pandemic graduate and the spooky reason he’s been teased for being the “Devil’s Baby” in a locker room interview that featured interruptions from veteran linebacker Jamal Adams.

RJ: How much more comfortable are you feeling now than when you first got here, and where have you made the biggest strides in your game?

Hemingway: I think I’m getting there. Getting a little more playing time and just trying to get better with each step.

RJ: How much validation was it when you started to get more playing time?

Hemingway: That goes for everyone, but definitely with me (and fellow rookie defensive tackle J.J. Pegues). It shows they are seeing all the work we are putting in.

RJ: You’re coming off your best statistical game. Did you think it was your best game?

Hemingway: No, I really don’t. I’m very hard on myself.

Jamal Adams: Hell, no, that’s not his best. Because he can be so much better.

Hemingway: For sure.

RJ: You have your degree in public health from South Carolina. You have said it meant a lot to you to walk across that stage and get that degree. Why was it so important to you, and what do you hope to do with it in your future?

Adams: Oh, you’re smart (laughing).

Hemingway: I was supposed to be a physical education major, but there was one class during football. It was the only time it was available was during practice, so I couldn’t take it. So that was my next choice. I just want to be able to work with kids that need help in some way. And I’ll probably coach.

RJ: You graduated from high school at the height of the COVID pandemic in late spring and early summer of 2020. What was that time like?

Hemingway: We got through almost the whole school year. I played three sports — football, basketball and baseball. We went deep in the basketball playoffs, and I had just gotten out for baseball and the season just got cut off. That was weird, and then I couldn’t go off to college in the middle of all that. So I had just had to train with my dad to stay in shape and get ready to start at South Carolina.

RJ: Your real name is Terrell. Why did your family start calling you Tonka?

Hemingway: My dad just said I was a tough kid, always crashing into things and falling down. He’s got all kinds of stories about me just banging into stuff, and then things regular kids would cry at and stop doing, I would just get right back up and keep doing it.

RJ: You and all three of your siblings are athletes, including Junior, a former NFL wide receiver. One sister played college basketball, and the other played softball. Who is the best athlete in the family?

Hemingway: Me, for sure.

RJ: Would your siblings say the same thing?

Hemingway: No. They’d all say themself. But I’ll say me.

RJ: But I read somewhere that you refuse to step into the batter’s box and try to take swings against your sister’s pitches.

Hemingway: Yeah, you got me on that. It’s a big ball, and it’s scary.

RJ: When you were young, your brother played for the Chiefs for three seasons. How much Chiefs gear did you have? And admit it, did you hate the Raiders?

Hemingway: OK, I did have a lot of Chiefs gear. A lot. I used to wear it all the time. But, nah, I didn’t hate the Raiders. At that age, I was just so amazed my brother played in the league.

RJ: Is it true your sister ran you over doing a drill when you were kids?

Hemingway: Yes. That’s true. You’re bringing back some memories now. I gave her my pads and let her go. She ran me over. I was mad. My parents will tell you about that. I’m mad to this day.

RJ: Doesn’t that give her the title of best athlete in the family?

Hemingway: She got me that day. They used to beat me in things all the time when I was young, but then I got older and grew into my body and it started getting real competitive.

RJ: You were born Oct. 31. What is it like having a Halloween birthday?

Hemingway: It’s a lot. People have their jokes like you’re the Devil’s baby and stuff like that. It’s crazy.

RJ: OK, final one. What’s the next step in your progression as a player?

Hemingway: Improving in every area. There are things I definitely have to get better at, whether it’s the run game or whatever they need from me. I just want to be able to do the job to the point where they have confidence in me to do it.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.