South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Talking the talk, walking the walk
With his usual brash confidence, Hill eager to finally face real foe
MIAMI GARDENS — Tyreek Hill has flashed his speed, agility and pass-catching ability plenty in Dolphins training camp through two weeks, but it’s all been against a Miami secondary that doesn’t have cornerback Byron Jones and has seldom trotted out Xavien Howard in 11-on-11 drills.
This coming week Hill, the Dolphins’ $120 million receiver, will get to showcase his skills against an opponent for the first time with his new team. The Dolphins travel to Tampa for joint practices with the Buccaneers on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of their Aug. 13 preseason game.
The times Hill has faced Howard, mostly in a one-on-one setting, Howard has gotten the better of him, deflecting passes or forcing overthrows with tight coverage. It has Hill ready to see something else.
“I’m really sick of going against X,” said Hill, who will get to go against the team he lost to in the Super Bowl two years ago with the Kansas City Chiefs. “He’s been locking me up in practice.
“I really can’t wait to get to Tampa, and I know the guys are very eager to get down there as well.”
Hill is a known trash talker who thrives off the extracurricular activity that comes with either winning or losing a rep against an opponent.
“If I don’t talk, I don’t perform because I feel like I perform better under pressure,” he said. “That’s
just my mentality.
“If I’m relaxed, I’m just chilling, then I just go with the flow. … Say, for instance, I go against aD Band he don’t say anything to me the whole entire game. To me, I’m like, ‘OK we brother-in-lawing it.’
“But if he’s sitting there talking trash to me, doing what he got to do, in my face every play, then I’ m going to challenge him back.”
Hill wants his confidence to extend to players with more reserved personalities, like quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and fellow wideout Jaylen Waddle. It’s something he takes pride in incorporating with his new, younger teammates.
“It rubs off on everyone,” Hill said. “Tua has even been talking trash, so I feel like that’s great for his confidence moving forward, going into these big games that we’re about to play. I’m just like a match: I get the thing started, and everybody else just finishes it.”
For a star receiver, Hill has seen plenty of work during training camp — this when coach Mike McDaniel likes to give established veterans maintenance and load-management days.
“I’m going to always go hard,” said Hill, who can also benefit from rapport being built with Tagovailoa in camp.
“I don’t care if I’m injured or not. I’m going to go hard. When I’m on the field, I’m going to give my teammates my everything.”
With all the activity, Hill had Wednesday off this week before the team’s Thursday off day and then returned for Friday and Saturday drills.
“I just got to take time for my body,” said Hill, who hinted about a minor tweak. “I’m a fast guy. I feel like only fast guys get certain injuries. That wasn’t really a load-management day for me. I had a little slight ding-up.
“I truly think that those days are important. Playing in Miami, this sun can weigh on you, as you can tell, and it can take the fluids right out of your body, put so much soreness in your hamstrings and other muscles that you got in your body. Those days are very important. It’s really up to us how we approach those days.”
In his time in Miami, which is approaching five months, Hill has impressed Dolphins wide receivers coach Wes Welker for more than just his ability.
“Tyreek’s a very smart football player,” Welker said earlier in the week. “He understands space. He understands coverages. Whenever you show him exactly how you want him to do something, he gets it very quickly. It’s been fun to be around.
“Makes my job a lot easier.”