Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill said he’s unsure why he was detained and forcibly touched by police before Sunday’s season opener in an incident that left him wondering, "What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?"
Hill said officers told him he was speeding and reckless driving. He did not tell them who he was while he was handcuffed face down just outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida about three hours before kickoff. Fans driving on the same street recorded video, which quickly went viral before the game.
"They said I was speeding, reckless driving or whatever," Hill said. "I wasn’t raised like that to name drop. If you said I did something, write me a ticket and do whatever you have to do. But don’t be disrespectful."
Hill said he was driving to work, "thinking about going for 150 yards" before he was pulled over and detained. The matter was resolved with Hill allowed to freely join his teammates inside the stadium to play in the game.
"It happened so fast," Hill said. "It caught me off guard."
PLAY TO WIN $5K: USA TODAY's Pro Football Survivor Pool is free to enter. Sign up now!
Hill had 130 yards receiving, including an 80-yard touchdown catch, while kicker Jason Sanders kicked the game-winning field goal as the Dolphins beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-17.
Hill even celebrated his touchdown by putting his hands behind his back, while teammate and fellow receiver Jaylen Waddle grasped Hill’s hands together in the end zone.
"We had something else planned," Hill said, "and all this happened this morning."
The Miami-Dade Police Department launched an internal affairs investigation into the Hill incident, and announced an officer was placed on administrative duties, shortly after the Dolphins’ season-opening win.
"That should tell you everything you need to know,” Hill said when he learned about the officer discipline.
"I’m committed to transparency and accountability to the community with any situation involving my officers," MDPD director Stephanie V. Daniels said in a statement on social media. Daniels also requested an immediate review of the incident, including body camera footage, in an earlier statement as the game got underway.
Hill, who says he wants to be a cop one day, said he wants to partner with police in the future to turn his pregame incident into a positive impact.
"I do want to use this platform to say, what if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? Worst case scenario. It’s crazy. I want to be a cop one day. I have a state trooper hat and I have a lot of respect for cops," Hill said.
"Obviously, everybody has bad apples in every situation. 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 Miami-Dade, so we can do something positive for the community."
Hill, a nine-year veteran who won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020, agreed to a contract extension last month with Miami worth $90 million for the next three seasons with $65 million in guaranteed money.
