Chiefs WR Hill hopes to run in Olympics
MIAMI: Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill says he dreams of one day racing in the Olympics once he has gotten Sunday’s Super Bowl out of the way.
The speedster, who escaped suspension last year over an incident which left his toddler son with a broken arm, is one of the main weapons in the Chiefs’ formidable offensive arsenal.
The 25-year-old nicknamed “Cheetah” is regarded by many as the fastest player in the NFL, even if he took no part in a contest last year to determine the winner of that accolade.
Hill’s blistering pace helped him clock a personal best of 9.98sec for the 100m when in high school, and he was a competitive track and field athlete in college before he focused on gridiron.
Hill told reporters on Tuesday that he is keen to one day resurrect his sprinting career.
“Hopefully after the season, if I’m healthy and my mind is still in the right place, I really want to try and like try to qualify for some Olympic teams,” Hill said.
“Maybe get a few guys off the team and see if we can put a relay together, and show these track guys that football guys, we used to do this back in high school, man, we still got it, you know?”
While this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo are an unrealistic target, Hill’s dream may not be as fanciful as it seems.
Several NFL players have competed in Olympic sprinting over the years, notably former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Jeff Demps, a member of the USA 4x100m relay squad at London 2012. Former Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best also ran in the 100m at the 2016 Olympics, representing Saint Lucia.