Here’s what Khyiris Tonga had to say during his interview with reporters on July 29, 2025.
On how he’s doing (and his hair):
“Doing well, doing well. The hair is holding up nice. It gets a little curly and nappy at times with the humidity, but it’s holding up nice.”
On how he feels about the humidity:
“The humidity? I love it. I love it. It feels… I don’t know, I just… I just love being out here. Humidity, cold, it don’t matter to me.”
On his ability to work with the group and the chemistry:
“Just like you said, communication and just being able to work off each other, if that’s in the run or in the pass, it’s been really helpful. And for me to come in to be next to Milton and Barmore makes my job so much easier because they got to pick their choice between Barmore and Milton, and I’m good with that.”
On what’s different if anything about his game now from when he signed here to where he’s working through practice now:
“Yeah, just my understanding. Just, just picking up the little things. Just, off going with my last one, just being around players who, who’ve done it and who are so good at it and just being able to talk to them and pick out their brains and what I can do better at the nose or the three or whatever I’m needing. So it’s been helpful just picking up those little techniques and talking to teammates.”
On if he can explain the challenges of the different styles of run defenses:
“It’s all just beat your one on one, really, at the end of the day, the trenches get really ugly. So it’s whoever’s in front of you and don’t get moved.”
On the fact we’ve watched those one-on-ones at the other end of the field and what that’s been like:
“Yeah, it’s always good. Iron sharpens iron, man. We always just trying to work on our technique and, do good. It’s only day two of the pads, so it’s good to always get out there one on ones and work what we’ve been working on all spring and otas.”
On what he makes of his two reps out there today:
“Be better? Yeah, everything. I could always be better in my reps.”
On the fact he mentioned the humidity and if there’s anything he has to do in order to adjust, more water, more breaks, or anything:
“Yeah, I gotta drink a ton more water just because I’m sweating so much. So they do a good job of keeping us hydrated, so that’s never really a problem for me. So it’s been good.”
On playing with Barmore, Milton, etc. and the advantage that having them garner attention provides:
“Yeah, that’s for everyone, I think. And that’s not even just the line. That’s the backers behind us, that’s the dbs behind us. So it’s. They got to pick their poison between those two units that we feed off of. So, that means we got win our one on one opportunities. So it’s good.”
On what it’s been like going up against the two rookie linemen, Jared Wilson and Will Campbell:
“It’s been good. You know, they. They’ve been working all. All camp, and it’s cool to come out and see them come alive and their technique come alive and their IQ of the game starting to come up because you know how fast it is now in the league compared to college. So it’s good to see them coming to that.”
On what it’s been like going up against Garrett Bradbury:
“I’ve been going up against Bradbury since my second year, so it’s always good going against a veteran center who knows what he’s doing, who has all the little savvy moves. It sharpens my game up. So it’s been really good.”
On the fact in the spring he was anxious about getting settled and how that process has been going:
“It’s been good. Found a place to live. Everything’s so cool here. I haven’t really been out much to eat and stuff, so I still got to cross that off my list. But when that time comes, we’re going to get it.”
On him being out there with Milton Williams and Christian Barmore on the field at the same time, and what else that grouping allows the whole defense to do:
“I think we just set a tone up front. If that’s a run or the pass, I think it starts up front with all of us. So for that, just us knowing that and having a chip on our shoulder and what that comes with just makes it more exciting.”
On if there’s any aspect of his game that he’s become hyper-focused on improving:
“All of it. The run, the pass, I just want to be better in all aspects as best I can, whatever that looks like. But yeah, all of that.”
On where gets the chip he has on his shoulder:
“Just being here in the league, I mean, the chances of being here is already slim. We had the numbers, so it’s just being out here, it’s already a blessing. So just having a chip on your shoulder and coming out and doing what we do is. It’s that much more fun for us, though.”
On if he has a favorite saying or phrase that coach Vrabel says a lot:
“No. No, we just be working. Yeah, he says a lot of stuff.”
That’s why we’re curious:
“No, he’s not. Too many, but they’re all good.”
On his reaction to being an offseason award winner:
“It was pretty cool. It’s an honor. But at the end of the day, we were just working. I think anybody could have gotten it, really. Everybody was working during camp, so it’s still the same. Nothing changes. We just working. So that’s all it is.”
On if he feels at home here:
“Yeah, I love it here. Teammates, coach is cool. Everybody’s been very welcoming and just being able to come here and just to play and be free. That’s all you can ask for.”
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This transcript was done based on the available footage and is subject to typographical errors. If you spot anything, please let me know in the comments below.)
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
