Most players go into Week 1 of the NFL season wanting little to no distractions toward kickoff. For the Miami Dolphins and star wideout Tyreek Hill, Sunday morning was all a distraction. Entering his ninth season in the NFL, the former Super Bowl champion was detained and put in handcuffs by Miami-Dade police outside of Hard Rock Stadium for a driving violation.
Hill was released by police and warmed up in time for his game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The incident was a complete shock for the Pro Bowl wide receiver. Luckily for him, his support system — wife, mother, family, and teammates — were with him to calm himself before the game, he said.
“At the end of the day, I still got a job to do and nobody worried about if [Tyreek] come in, drop three passes because he’s still thinking about the little scenario,” Hill said. “Nobody thinking about that man. I still got a job to do.”
Arrest Fuels Tyreek Hill in Dolphins’ Week 1 Victory
Breakdown of the Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill’s Arrest
Hill claimed that the Miami-Dade police officer stopped him on his way to work because of speeding/reckless driving. Despite his claims of not being disrespectful to the officer, he was taken out of his car and a video on social media that showed Miami-Dade Police detaining Hill surfaced around 10:33 a.m. Sunday.
The 30-year-old NFL veteran said the officer put their hands on him while he was directed to sit on the sidewalk of NW 199th St. in Miami Gardens, Florida and the moment happened so fast that it caught the wide receiver off guard.
“I have no idea, for real. No idea — no idea man, it’s crazy,” Hill said. “I wasn’t disrespectful because my mom didn’t raise me that way. Didn’t cuss, didn’t do none of that. Like I said, I’m still trying to figure it out, man.”
Hill wasn’t the only Miami player to be arrested that morning. Offseason additions Defensive tackle Calais Campbell and tight end Jonnu Smith saw the arrest happen. Campbell went out of his car to de-escalate the situation. He was later cited for ‘disobeying a direct order’ by the officer and put in handcuffs. The support from his teammates was huge for Hill.
“I’m just glad that my teammates were there to support me in that situation because I felt alone,” Hill said. “When they showed up, it made me realize we have a f*****g good team this year dog. For them to put their life on the line. It was amazing to see man.”
Miami-Dade police later released Hill and Campbell, who arrived at the stadium in time to warm up for the game. Policed issued Hill a ticket for a ‘moving violation entering the stadium’, according to his agent Drew Rosenhaus.
An Added Reason to Compete
The extra emotions from the arrest were something that Hill needed. At times, the speedster at wideout said he’d get lazy because of his capabilities on the field. His detainment was an added fire to his motivation toward the game. Hill came into the game beside himself toward what would be another highlight reel day.
“When all this happened I was turned up, I was pissed off. Like On the sideline, I was teed up bruh,” Hill said. “Like today was like the first day I really blocked somebody. I pancaked somebody today. Like [Arik Armstead], 6-foot-8, pancaked him. Pancaked him, I did that today man.”
Officials called flagged Hill’s ‘pancake’ on Armstead for offensive holding, the 191-pound receiver impacted the game beyond blocking. Miami, trailing throughout the game, created electricity through the frenzied fueled Hill. In one instance, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa connected with the wideout for an 80-yard touchdown pass to close Jacksonville’s lead to 17-14 in the third quarter.
The first-string wide receiver took to an inspired celebration by his arrest for his touchdown. Hill put his hands behind his back and teammate Jaylen Waddle handcuffed him. The duo knew exactly what they wanted to do after Hill crossed the end zone. It was a planned celebration.
“I knew it immediately, man. [Jaylen Waddle] was like, ‘Hey, if you get in that end zone today, show your tail. Show your tail and I’ll do the rest.’ It was a planned celebration. But, obviously, we had something else.”
The Dolphins went on to defeat the Jaguars 20-17 with a 52-yard game-winning field goal by kicker Jason Sanders. Hill finished the game with a team-high 130 receiving yards and a touchdown. He averaged 18.6 yards per catch.
The Aftermath Off the Field
The Miami-Dade Police Department announced an Internal Affairs investigation into Hill’s detainment shortly after the game. According to MDPD director Stephanie V. Daniels, the department placed one of the officers involved in the situation on administrative duties during the investigation.
Hill’s team will do an investigation of the situation as well, according to his agent. Despite everything that had happened to him, Hill is still a supporter of the police and wants to create a positive outcome from his detainment experience.
“I want to be able to use this platform to figure out a way to flip this and make this a positive on both ends. On my end, and also Miami-Dade [Police],” Hill said. “So that way we can continue to build and do something positive for the community. That’s what it’s all about.”
Between the game and his arrest, Hill will enjoy Miami’s win and move on to Week 2. The Dolphins will face the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday at 8:15 p.m. ET. Both teams come into the primetime matchup 1-0.
Main Photo: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The post Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill’s Play Fueled by Unconventional Source in Week 1 Victory appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.