Who is Tyreek Hill? Dolphins’ new wideout is a star, but has history of legal trouble
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Miami Dolphins trade for Kansas City Chiefs star Tyreek Hill
The Dolphins have traded for Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill, making him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history. The blockbuster deal includes five draft picks.
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With a new coach in place and an eagerness to finally get back to the NFL playoffs after a pair of near misses the last two years, the Miami Dolphins made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason Wednesday when they traded for Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs.
The cost was, somewhat surprisingly, not excessively steep. The Dolphins are sending their first-, second- and fourth-round picks in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft to the Chiefs, plus fourth- and sixth-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.
It’s a more than justifiable price to pay for Hill’s production on the field after he was a Pro Bowler for the sixth straight year last season. Only 28, he might just be the best wide receiver Miami has ever had, but there’s more to know about Hill than just the accolades he brings with him to South Florida.
1. Is Hill actually the fastest player in the NFL?
It’s a superlative often thrown out about Hill: Especially early in his career, no one was clocking faster times on the field than Hill, so he held the title for a long time as the fastest player in the NFL.
He probably should still have it. Although his top speed last year didn’t rank among the 10 fastest in the NFL, he hit at least 20 mph 14 times as a ballcarrier, according to Next Gen Stats — six more than anyone else. He hit the 20-mph threshold 12 times the year before to lead the league, and combined to hit the mark 24 times in the two prior seasons — 10 more than anyone else in the two-year stretch.
Hill also clocked two of the four fastest times in NFL history back in 2016 — coincidentally, running back Raheem Mostert, Hill’s new teammate, has the other two — and has a 40-yard time to stand up against pretty much anyone. Although he didn’t participate in the NFL Scouting Combine ahead of the 2016 NFL Draft, Hill ran the 40-yard dash at his college pro day in 4.29 seconds. His time would rank among the 20 fastest in Combine history.
2. Hill was a two-sport superstar.
Hill was also an All-American in track and field in high school, according to USA Today, and Track and Field News’ high school athlete of the year in 2012 for Coffee in Douglas, Georgia.
He even competed in both sports for the Oklahoma State Cowboys in his lone season in Stillwater.
He won a gold medal as part of the United States’ 400 relay team at the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2012 and took bronze in the 200 dash.
3. Hill is self-proclaimed ‘Cheetah’
Hill’s nickname is “Cheetah” and it’s one people actually tend to use a little bit.
It’s not too often a self-given nickname works out, but this one has.
Hill’s Twitter handle is @cheetah and he described his speed as “cheetah speed.” Eventually, it stuck as a nickname for the speedster.
4. Where does Hill rank among Dolphins greats?
Hill, a three-time All-Pro, has only played six seasons in the NFL, yet his career numbers are already enough where he holds his own against Miami greats.
If Hill put up his first 6,630 career receiving yards with the Dolphins, he’d already rank fourth on the franchise’s all-time receiving yards list behind only former wide receivers Mark Duper, Mark Clayton and Nat Moore. His 1,479 yards he had back in 2018 would also be a Miami record.
5. Hill has a history of legal issues.
Hill has been a controversial figure going back to college. In 2014, Hill was arrested for domestic violence and Oklahoma State booted him from the team, leaving him to finish his college career at Division II University of West Alabama in Livingston.
In 2014, Hill allegedly threw his pregnant girlfriend around “like a ragdoll,” punched her in the face, sat on her, punched her in the stomach and choked her, according to a police report obtained by the Tulsa World in Oklahoma. Hill pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation. He got three years of probation and was sentenced to enroll in an anger-management course a year-long batterer’s program. He also had to undergo a domestic-abuse evaluation. The woman eventually gave birth to a boy.
In 2019, Hill was also the subject of a criminal investigation for alleged battery after an incident left his son, then 3, with a broken arm. As of 2019, the case was inactive after medical investigations determined the arm was broken by accident.
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 2:30 PM.
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