Tyreek Hill: “I do things that many cannot do”
The Miami Dolphins star receiver sits down with Diario AS during the camp with the Madrid Bravos to talk about his career, future, goals, playing in Spain.
When the debate opens about who is the best wide receiver in the NFL, the name Tyreek Hill is, in most cases, the first to come up. Joining the Miami Dolphins in 2022 after his high-profile departure from the Kansas City Chiefs, with whom he won the Super Bowl two years previous, Hill led the league in receiving yards (1,799) last year and touchdown receptions (13). Hill’s 200 meter dash at age 18 was 20.14 seconds, good enough to win him two medals at the U-20 World Championships, a speed which very nearly made Hill consider a career in athletics. It also makes him almost indefensible in the NFL.
Together with the European Football League’s Madrid Bravos, Hill organized a mini youth camp, the Soul Runner Speed Academy, and visited their facilities in Las Rozas, just outside the Spanish capital of Madrid. Hill sat down with Diario AS to talk frankly with us about his career.
Question: I intend to present you as the best receiver in the NFL. Am I right to do so?
Answer: Yes, that's right. Of course I see myself as the best receiver in the league. I feel like I can do things that a lot of receivers can't do. That's added value in a special team's game. I can jump, I can make catches, I can run all types of routes, I can be open one-on-one, I can make plays on third down... Whatever it takes, it's on the menu. I'm like McDonald's, I have a whole list of menu items.
This is not your first time in Spain, as you won a couple of medals at the U-20 World Athletics Championships in Barcelona in 2012. What do you think of the country?
This is my second time in Spain, yes, although the first in Madrid. I really want to take a tour of the city. I would like to go to Retiro Park, I think that's what it's called. So I'm really looking forward to everything, to discover everything and I hope one day I can bring my family here.
“I'm like McDonald's, I have a whole list of menu items.”
The Dolphins are favorites to play at the Santiago Bernabéu in 2025. Would you like to play a game there?
Yes, I'm very excited about it. Any chance you get to play an NFL game overseas, I think it says a lot. This is how you grow your brand and make it even bigger. If we have the opportunity to play a game in Madrid, I would love to be there.
Before visiting Madrid you were in Paris, where this year the Olympic Games are held. In the next ones, Los Angeles 2028, flag football will debut. Would you like to compete in the event?
Yes, definitely. It's not until 2028, but if the NFL allows it, and if I still run 4.2 seconds (40 yards), I will definitely participate in flag football in Los Angeles. I'm open to it, for sure. I think adding professional athletes at that level helps this sport grow even faster.
What legacy do you want to leave in the NFL? Both on and off the field.
I want people to know that when I played football, I played fast and with purpose. Without backing down from any challenge. And off the field, I just want people to know the person, and understand that I have wanted to travel around the planet and inspire young people around the world. I think that's the nicest thing, man. God uses me every day, teaches me different things and makes me learn. I am just a temple, I just carry a body, and he uses me to influence kids to love this sport, to love what they do every day, to work hard, to stick with passion and consistency in whatever they do. are doing. That's why I want to be remembered, for being able to inspire the entire world, not just in the United States.
The league has changed the kickoff returns, one of its specialties.
That there is a change like this can undoubtedly change many games because many teams have a dangerous return man. The Dolphins are one of those teams with several players like that. So I think it adds value to many players, also in the money that can be paid to them. It may be that they are going to pay you ‘X’ money, but since you have returned a certain number of serves, it adds value to players who may not be the best receivers. And it adds value to the game in the returns, so it’s definitely going to help. Also, when you add the injury factor, if you think about it, in a kickoff like before, guys are running at full speed and crash like that. With this new rule, it cuts it in half, I think. I think it adds value, security, it also increases the value of the players, and I think it is good for the sport. And it also makes it more exciting because people will see more returns.
“I would love to play in Madrid and the Los Angeles Olympic Games”
You have received passes, first, from Patrick Mahomes, and now from Tua Tagovailoa. What makes them so special?
You know, what makes them so different is the way in which they both prepare. Both are the first to arrive at the facilities and the last to leave. And that says a lot about both of them. Pat is obviously the best quarterback in the league, he just won two Super Bowls in a row. That tells you everything you need to know about him. And, as for Tua, he’s steadily ascending, moving up the quarterback charts. Every year it’s getting better, and a lot of people don’t realize it’s getting better. He’s not going down, he’s going better in his career.
What is your goal for next season?
Our goal this year is simple, man: win the Super Bowl. I think that’s the goal every year. It’s easy for me to say it and it’s complicated to do it. But our goal this year is to get to the Super Bowl, and potentially reach 2,000 (receiving yards, something that has never been done). I hope so.