Miami Dolphins head coach fights back tears as he speaks about Tyreek Hill getting detained
Miami Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel cut an emotional figure as he discussed Tyreek Hill’s arrest.
The superstar wide receiver was detained by police just hours before the Dolphins’ game with Jacksonville Jaguars.
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NFL insider Adam Schefter reported: “Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill was detained by police today entering the stadium for a driving violation, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus.”
ESPN reported that Hill was cited for reckless driving after being pulled over for speeding.
There was then a verbal altercation with a police officer which led to him being put on the ground and in handcuffs before teammate Calais Campbell stopped to try and help de-escalate the situation.
Hill was reported by NFL Network Tom Pelissero to have said he had ‘no idea’ why he was handcuffed.
Stephanie Daniels, Miami-Dade Police Department director, told NFL Network that the body-cam footage would be reviewed – and later in the day confirmed an officer had been placed on administrative leave.
Discussing the situation in a press conference, Dolphins’ head coach McDaniel said: “This is too much under the spotlight to get swept under the rug.
“It’s hard for me not to find myself more upset the more I think about it, try to put myself in that situation.
“The thing that [expletives] me up is knowing I don’t know what that feels like. It’s very important that two things should be true.
“You let due process work and let information be gathered to appropriately project an opinion. But I can’t get away from the fact of what I know their experience to be.
“If you are Calais Campbell and going to work, whatever personal innocence you have, you are a gigantic, strong, miraculous man that has done right in all ways, shapes and forms.
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“There are elements to that that are very triggering. I think it’s supremely important to wait for information to be gathered before any rush to judgment. The feelings expressed to me are unsettling.”
McDaniel then said he was ‘super proud’ of Jonnu Smith, Campbell and Odell Beckham Jr. for stopping to support Hill during the incident, saying: “I’m super proud of our guys understanding the civic responsibility of a platform and intending to do right by it. I was happy a guy like that didn’t feel alone.”
Asked a question about race and how it might have played into this, McDaniel said: “When you know you can’t truly understand, the unknown is what crushes me. I can only forecast.
“My forecast: What if it’s worse?… Simply because of my appearance, I don’t have a history of feeling profiled. For me in particular, I feel pretty helpless at times.”
After being declared available for the match, Hill responded in the best possible way by scoring an 80-yard touchdown after being found by Tua Tagovailoa.
His celebration saw him mimic being arrested as he put his hands behind his back in front of the Miami fans with Jaylen Waddle playing his part too.
The Dolphins got their AFC East campaign off to an ideal start with a 20-17 win over the Jaguars with the Buffalo Bills up next.
