With Miami Dolphins 'on hot seat,' Tyreek Hill strengthens his voice

MIAMI, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Teammates could never emulate what he does to a defense, but Tyreek Hill says he hopes they follow his lead this season with the Miami Dolphins "on the hot seat," aiming to halt a drought of postseason glory.

He's an aqua and orange typhoon, turning defenders and opposing game plans into debris. By himself, he has earned top NFL accolades, but Hill vied to improve on another area this year: leadership.

"I feel like all of us are on the hot seat. That's why I had to step it up," Hill told UPI.

"Obviously, when I first got here, I didn't have a strong enough voice because I was new to other guys. It was like when you're new to a team, you don't want to call anybody out that you don't know.

"But now I've been able to hang out with the guys in the off-season and do different things with the guys, go different places and stuff like that, and have time with those guys."

. @cheetah 's route running is just as electric as his speed pic.twitter.com/qn3YqkOqhb — NFL (@NFL) May 30, 2024

Defenders must get their hands on Hill's jersey at the line of scrimmage if they don't want to get burnt by the wide receiver's fast feet. But Hill now has his hands on teammates' shoulders and voice in their ears, thriving when times are most awkward and pressure-filled.

"Now, we can get into those uncomfortable situations where we can call each other out," Hill said. "I'm not doing my [job]? Call me out. And if you're not doing yours, I'm gonna call you out. Because that's the only way we're gonna get better."

Fans can't miss Hill's straight-line speed -- or his lateral quickness when he drops foes with the roll of a hip, but his presence outside that setting, at training camp, at practice and in meetings, could be equally game-breaking.

"I think it's his work ethic," Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle said. "He goes at it and he's got all these accolades, all these different Pro Bowls and All-Pros, and he goes at it with the same approach every day -- that no one can guard him.

"No one is better than him and he just stays hungry. He practices like he's always got something to prove. So when a guy of that status goes and approaches it [like that], you have no choice but to learn and feed off that."

Dolphins cornerback Kendall Fuller, who was teammates with Hill at the Kansas City Chiefs for two seasons and signed with Miami this off-season, says the man nicknamed "Cheetah" made him a better player. He also said Hill has the same glee for the game he had years ago.

"The biggest thing that I can still see from him, and I appreciate, is just joy for being out on the practice field," Fuller said. "He still always has that same work ethic, but you always want guys to make the most of this opportunity, have fun being out here."

Hill's work ethic and honed skills helped him overcome critiques he faced early in his football career, as some were wary about his 5-foot-10, sub-200-pound frame. He is now in uncharted territory as the only player in NFL history to total at least 1,700 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons -- and is arguably the most lethal weapon in the league.

He recently left the country to ensure that success continues, receiving stem cell treatments last month on a day trip to Antiqua for the third-consecutive year. The treatments are for cell regeneration, which are intended to improve Hill's blood flow.

"It's been paying off," Hill said. "Two years ago, I had tendinitis real bad. I got some stem cells and I felt really good, so I've been I've been staying on top of that stuff."

Hill's quest to stay on the field coincides with the quality of being present, an essential cog in his leadership strategy. He also wants to continue to prove doubters wrong, mimicking NFL legend Tom Brady .

"Brady said it the best," Hill said. "You don't have to be the best or you don't have to be the strongest or the tallest, but as long as you stay consistent in what you do each and every day, you'll be all right.

"I feel like that's who I've been my whole entire career. I show up to meetings. I bust my tail in the off-season and I've done everything right in the football space. And that's helped me achieve a lot of things, because some of what Tom Brady has had to say."

"You [block] me two guys, I'm gonna give you a touchdown." @cheetah runs through his top plays from his career ‍♂️

Full episode on #NFLPlus https://t.co/o5dYgoRwcV pic.twitter.com/Y3LoeaJvjR — NFL (@NFL) February 25, 2024

Hill was bathed in Super Bowl champion confetti while with the Chiefs, but has since had to watch his former team win two more Lombardi trophies. He took a trip to Tokyo to avoid watching his former teammates win their first title without him, but has since channeled his focus on earning one with the Dolphins, knowing that a title-winning window is ajar.

Hill, who thinks he needs another title to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, used the term "selfish" in describing his quest for 2,000 yards last season, which was derailed by an injury.

His top priority this year is to help the Dolphins win a playoff game for the first time in a quarter century.

"As he evolves as a man, it's cool to hear that's his viewpoint on it," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. "I know that he's a supreme competitor and uses a lot of different motivation tools.

"It's a win for the Dolphins that people are finding different ways to try in their own mind to improve themselves as human beings, and as a leader, that's a powerful statement"

Hill already has nearly tripled the length of the average NFL career (3.3 years), but knows his football future is finite. He said he doesn't know when asked how much longer he'll play and has shifted more focus to his family and children in recent years.

"They came out here and we worked out and we ran every day," Hill said of his kids. "The thing that made me so happy was seeing all of my boys with the same face I had when I was a kid, like when me and my dad were like hanging out.

"That brought me almost to tears because like all of my boys are exact replicas of me. They all like hungry. They all want to be just like my dad, but better. And, you know, that is scary."