Tyreek Hill – November 19, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas
Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill
Q. I know you’re getting closer to your 2,000 goal, but when you hear the third grade class when they’re marking your stats, did you want to just improve the numbers from last game to this game?
TYREEK HILL: Man, I’m just trying to help this team win. That’s my mindset. Two thousand yards is just something just to get the fans and Twitter going crazy, but obviously the main goal for me is to win games, help this team win games. That’s my mindset.
Q. What happened with your hand?
TYREEK HILL: I got my ass popped. Unfortunately – I was able to make a play – but got my ass popped, and my hand, it was just in the middle of me catching a ball when dude helmet hit my hand. But it’s nothing serious, thought. It was just a little pain.
Q. I know obviously as an offense you want to put up more points, but in a game like this where maybe you don’t put as many as you want and the defense comes through, what’s that like to see them step up and seal the win?
TYREEK HILL: It’s good. I’ve been saying this all year. We always want to end the game with the ball. That’s our mindset because we feel like we’ve got the playmakers to do it. We’ve got obviously the head coach to dial up the plays. We’re more than capable to be able to hold on to the ball at the very end of the game to keep our defense out of those situations. But it’s a team game. That’s the beauty of the sport. You can always rely on another phase, which is defense or special teams, to make plays, and that’s what defense did today. They made plays for us.
Q. You guys obviously put up a lot of yards on the field but maybe not as many points as we’re used to seeing. Was it some bye week rust or anything the Raiders were doing?
TYREEK HILL: No, I wouldn’t say that. The Raiders, they also get paid over there, too. They’ve got a lot of playmakers, Maxx Crosby, Marcus Peters, (Robert) Spillane, those guys. They do a great job of leading that defense, and they did a great job of stripping the ball out, forcing us to check the ball down and stuff like that. Yeah, they did a good job. Their head coach has changed the mentality of that team, and you can definitely see it, and you can feel it when you’re on the football field, the way those guys fly to the ball, the way those guys are having fun. I love what they’re doing over there.
Q. Can you explain that touchdown celebration?
TYREEK HILL: I really can’t. I really can’t explain it, man. I was just fired up. Just fired up. Any time I’m able to get in the end zone, it’s a blessing. Very grateful for that today.
Q. On that touchdown, picture basically four defenders that you ran. How much did you see them?
TYREEK HILL: I definitely seen them, but it’s one of those things that our receiver coach, he tells us, man, like you guys are fast enough to split guys, and sometimes me and Waddle look at him like, bro, you don’t know what it’s like to be fast. (laughter) But that’s one of those situations that he wasn’t wrong. So I know we’re going to go back into the film room, we’re going to watch it. He’s going to be like, I told you, you guys could have been doing this since last year, and ‘Reek, if you would have listened to me, you probably would have had 2,000 last year.’ It’s just one of those things. I’ve just got to trust my speed, and that’s what I did right there. I was like, (expletive) it, if I get tackled, I get tackled.
Q. To clarify, we’re talking about Wes, right?
TYREEK HILL: Yeah, Wes Welker, the slot guy. He’s a slot receiver.
Q. Next week you guys play on Friday night. Probably the last time you played on Friday night was in high school. What would you tell your high school self?
TYREEK HILL: Man, just have fun. Just do what you’ve been doing your whole entire life when you play football, and that’s just be you, be the ‘Cheetah,’ and just play fast. That’s something I’ve always been, the fast guy, the high-energy guy that’s on the sideline to get the crowd hyped. That’s me. I’m a character. That’s just me. That’s what I would tell my high school self.
Q. What do you think of being part of a first of its kind game on Friday?
TYREEK HILL: Definitely excited about it, but obviously we’re going to miss Thanksgiving with our family, so that kind of sucks, but like I say, any chance we get a chance to play this beautiful game of football, I’m honored, blessed, grateful, all that.
Q. What do you think of Jalen Ramsey?
TYREEK HILL: Oh, he’s a dawg. He’s the best corner in the league. For him to be able to go against two of the best receivers in the league, that also helps, too, me and Waddle. We can go tick for tat with that, but the way he laid out for that last pass goes to show how much he cares about this team because a lot of guys, they’ll knock it down, they’ll say, I could land weird. But the way he just laid out for his team really shows about how he cares about his brothers. I said that on the sideline. I’m like, bro, this dude is next level. For him to be All-Pro each and every year, for him to have made all this money, he’s still out there going 110 miles an hour, and he’s the same way at practice, too, though. I love it. I love it. I’m glad we’re on the same side.
Q. With the hand, did you get an x-ray or you just came back and got it taped up?
TYREEK HILL: No, I just came back and — actually I did do an X-ray. But it was quick. One of those quick things. Then I got it taped up and I was like, I can’t catch like this.
Q. Is it something you’re going to have to manage going up to the game on Friday?
TYREEK HILL: No, I think I’ll be fine, man. The only thing I’m really bummed about, I won’t be able to play Fortnite. That’s the kind of thing I’m bummed about. I won’t be able to play video games. Which is good for my wife, though. She’s got this new show she likes. She wants me to watch it.
Q. What show is that?
TYREEK HILL: It’s called – the Tyler Perry movie, the Family Business on Netflix.
Q. Did you wear the ring on your gloves?
TYREEK HILL: Yeah, I did. I actually got to get a rubber one because playing with this one, I didn’t too much enjoy it.
