Takis snacks and Browns LB Sione Takitaki: A match made in naming heaven

From Mexico to Cleveland, Taki(taki)s are loved!

The chip-related category of the snack business is a $10.8 billion industry.

And now Cleveland has a slice of that pie. Or should we say, corn masa flour processed with lime with iodized salt, citric acid, soy protein, sugar, onion powder, hot chili pepper, sodium bicarbonate, yeast, and silicon dioxide with natural and artificial flavors.

Mexican snack manufacturer Barcel has tabbed Cleveland Browns linebacker Sione Takitaki and his wife Alyssa to promote their popular snack product Takis. The sponsorship is very fitting as the play on words is very witty and fun.

Made in Mexico, Takis resemble the shape of the taquito and come in 29 flavors such as Volcano (habanero and cheese), Kaboom (ketchup and sriracha), Ninja (spicy teriyaki), and Fuego (hot chili pepper with lime), to name a few. The snack was invented by Morgan Sanchez who worked for Barcel. Other snack products manufactured by the company include Churritos, Toreadas, and Kiyakis.

In addition, in October of 2020, the company expanded the Takis brand with eight sister products which include popcorn, nuts, and potato chips. There have also been product crossovers including Totino’s Pizza Rolls featuring Takis Fuego Mini Snack Bites, and Razor Scooters released a Takis Brand Scooter.

Obviously, the last name of the Browns linebacker fits perfectly with the brand which is hoping to expand its products into mainstream North American markets instead of areas that have a large Hispanic population. Takis were first produced in 1999 and introduced to the USA in 2004 and Canada in 2015.

Takitaki came to Cleveland with the 80^th pick (third round) in the 2019 NFL draft. In his senior year at BYU, he led his team in tackles with 118 and was named team captain.

Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

He is of Tongan descent but was raised in Romoland, California. Takitaki is the youngest of seven children and was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

With the Browns, Takitaki has accumulated 203 total tackles, two sacks, one interception, 11 tackles for loss, one batted pass, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and eight QB hits. In 2022 he suffered a torn ACL in Week 13 against the Houston Texans.

Currently, he is a free agent. The Browns have until the league year (which begins on March 13) to offer him a new deal, extend him, or he is then free to negotiate with any NFL club. Cleveland has five linebackers listed on their free-agent agenda.

Takitaki is not a superstar defender with the Browns. But he has shown consistency and does his job. Some say he has earned a longer-term contract with the team. Others have stated he is just an average linebacker and an upgrade is a better option.

Takis have a strong customer base and can be found in the Hispanic section of just about any grocery store. Their flavor is described as “strong” and most flavors hover on the spicy side.