Tyreek Hill
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Tyreek Hill (born March 1, 1994, Douglas, Georgia, U.S.) is one of the most explosive and prolific wide receivers in the NFL. In 2020 he helped the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV. However, Hill’s exploits on the field have occasionally been overshadowed by run-ins with law enforcement.
Early life
Hill was born to Anesha Sanchez and Derrick Shaw. Both parents were athletes, playing basketball and running track and field. Hill was largely raised by his grandparents Virginia and Herman Hill, and he had a difficult childhood. The family struggled financially, and Herman Hill spent several stints in prison. During a 2022 episode of his podcast, It Needed to Be Said, Tyreek Hill recalled having no electricity during his senior year of high school, and he said that he focused on football because it “was my moneymaker.…I knew football was going to take care of me and my family.”
In addition to playing football in high school, Hill was a noted track-and-field athlete, excelling in the 100- and 200-meter events. He later attended Garden City Community College and was on the school’s football team. As a sophomore, he had 659 rushing yards and 532 receiving yards. In 2014 he enrolled at Oklahoma State University, where he had 1,811 all-purpose yards during his first season and ranked second in the nation with 996 combined kickoff and punt return yards. He was also a star sprinter on the track team. However, in December 2014 Hill was kicked off the football and track teams after being arrested on charges of domestic assault and battery in an attack on his pregnant girlfriend. In 2015 he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years of probation. The conviction was expunged in 2018. Hill played his final year of college football at the University of West Alabama in 2015.
NFL
Kansas City Chiefs
In the 2016 NFL draft the Kansas City Chiefs chose Hill in the fifth round—the 165th player overall. During his rookie season, he caught 61 passes for 593 yards and 6 touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl selection. Known for his agility and speed, he had more than 1,000 receiving yards in each of his next two seasons. But Hill continued to have problems off the field. In March 2019 the Kansas child welfare agency launched an investigation into Hill and his then-fianceé over a broken arm suffered by their three-year-old son, and the agency took the boy into custody temporarily in April. Although prosecutors believed the boy had been a victim of a crime, they ultimately did not bring charges because they were unable to prove who caused the injury.
The Chiefs suspended Hill, though he returned for the start of the 2019 season. In the first game, he suffered a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the next four games. Nevertheless, the team finished the season 12–4 and advanced to Super Bowl LIV (2020). In that game, Hill led Kansas City in receptions (9) and receiving yards (105) as the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 31–20. In the 2020 season Hill had 15 touchdowns, and Kansas City returned to the Super Bowl. However, the team lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31–9.
Miami Dolphins
After six seasons in Kansas City, Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks in 2022. Miami signed Hill to a four-year, $120 million contract, which made him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history at that time. Hill was coming off a strong 2021 season—111 catches for 1,239 yards and 9 touchdowns. His outstanding play continued with the Dolphins. In the 2022 season he had 1,710 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. Miami made the playoffs for the first time in six years but lost in the wild-card round.
However, more legal problems soon dogged Hill. In June 2023 an employee of a Miami Beach marina claimed that Hill slapped him in the back of the head after the two had a disagreement. Hill told reporters that it was a “boneheaded mistake,” and he reached a settlement with the accuser. No criminal charges were filed. Despite this off-field drama, Hill had a banner year in 2023. He led the NFL in yards (1,799), touchdowns (13), and yards per game (112.4). He also became the first wide receiver to make the Pro Bowl in all of his first eight seasons. In addition, his receiving yards were the seventh highest in a season in league history, and he became the first NFL player to record at least 1,700 yards in multiple seasons. Hill’s stellar season helped the Dolphins return to the playoffs, but they again lost their wild-card game.
On his way to the Dolphins’ 2024 season opener on September 8, Miami-Dade county police stopped Hill for speeding, and during the traffic stop, he rolled his window up rather than down as the police officer had instructed. Police body-camera footage showed police pulling Hill from his car, handcuffing him, and pushing him to the ground face-first. A teammate who had stopped on his way to the game was also handcuffed. Police cited Hill for careless driving and failing to wear a seat belt, and the incident made national news. A few days later, Hill took responsibility, saying, “I could have been better.…I’ve got to follow rules. I’ve got to do what everyone else would do.” However, he also said that the arresting officer should be fired.