Hill turns life around off the field
Chiefs star engaged to woman he once pled guilty to assaulting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Three years after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a 2014 assault of his girlfriend, who was eight weeks pregnant with their son at the time, Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill is now engaged to her.
Hill, then a running back at Oklahoma State, in 2015 pleaded guilty to domestic battery of Crystal Espinal in a Stillwater, Okla., apartment in December 2014. He was given a three-year deferred sentence with probation and required to complete an anger management course along with a 52-week batterer’s intervention program.
Dismissed from the Oklahoma State football program, he finished his collegiate career at Division-II West Alabama before being selected by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft.
Because Hill successfully completed his probation last month, the domestic abuse charges were dismissed and his record was expunged.
Recently, Espinal and their 3-year-old son, Zev, moved to Kansas City. Three weeks ago, Hill proposed to Espinal during a low-key night out.
“It feels good,” Hill said. “Everything feels good. Everything is in order. I’m playing well, my family is great, my family is amazing. I have a great support system. Everything is going well for me.”
Since Espinal and Zev moved to Kansas City, Hill has been able to spend more time with his son.
“It’s fun,” he said. “I get to go home each and every day and just spend that time with my son. Whether it’s outside throwing the football or whether it’s inside playing Fortnite.
“I enjoy going home each and every day because every day is a challenge for me. Stepping up another notch. I’m trying to be a great father. Not only a great football player, but a tremendous father to my son because I want him to grow up and be better than I was.”
DOLPHINS: Defensive end Cameron Wake lashed out at the NFL’s new emphasis on the roughing-thepasser rule, and said the NFL’s stance on player safety is only selective to quarterbacks and offensive players without the same consideration for defensive players.
“It’s sad, obviously,” Wake said on Friday as the AFC East-leading Dolphins (3-0) prepared for today’s game at New England (1-2). “I don’t think it’s a secret the league is concerned about player safety — it just depends on what player. If it’s players’ safety, everybody should be safe, not just certain players.”
Wake, naturally soft-spoken in contrast to his dynamic playing style as a 10-year veteran, did not hold back in his remarks about quarterbacks getting preferential treatment when it comes to NFL rules.
“Just tell me, ‘listen, we want to protect quarterbacks differently or running backs or receivers or defensive players.’ Just be blunt about it. Not, ‘we care about your safety’ because you don’t care about my safety,” Wake said.
“You care about some people’s safety. My knees mean just as much to my family and my ability to play and provide just as (Dolphins quarterback Ryan) Tannehill’s does. I can’t understand why his are more important than mine.”
BENGALS: Cincinnati is prepared to see Falcons receiver Mohamed Sanu throw today. After all, nobody knows better about his accuracy.
Sanu completed all five of his passes during four seasons in Cincinnati, including a 73-yard touchdown to A.J. Green and an 18-yard scoring toss to Andy Dalton. He threw a 51-yard TD to Julio Jones last season, leaving him a perfect 6 for 6 for 228 yards and three touchdowns for his career heading into the Bengals’ game at Atlanta on Sunday.
“If anyone knows about it, we do,” Dalton said. Dalton’s TD catch during a 33-7 win over Tennessee in 2014 made him the only quarterback in Bengals history to score on a catch. He pitched the ball to Sanu and drifted off to the left for a cross-field pass. Cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson decided to try for the interception instead of hitting Dalton and missed the ball. Dalton made the catch, ran down the sideline and dived into the end zone.