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Tyreek Hill NFL Draft: From Troubled Past to Bright Future

Published 02/01/2021, 11:00 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Tyreek Hill is now a household name in Missouri. The speedy wide receiver, nicknamed ‘Cheetah’, has been pivotal for the Chiefs ever since joining in 2016.

On 368 receptions, Hill has 5,300+ receiving yards and 57+ receiving TDs over the last 4 seasons. Hill has turned into one of the pillars of the Chiefs’ offense, along with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

But it must be noted that luck has played a huge role in Hill’s career. But why?

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Kansas City Chiefs take a major risk by drafting Tyreek Hill in 2016

Tyreek Hill rose to fame during his high school playing days. He was an acclaimed Track & Field athlete representing Douglas High School in Coffee County.

He joined Garden Community college in 2012. During his sophomore year in 2013, Hill ran for 659 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns while catching 67 passes for 532 receiving yards while playing for the Broncbusters Football Team.

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After a brilliant display in Kansas, he was recruited by NCAA Division-I side Oklahoma State University. That’s when things began to go downhill for the promising NFL prospect as he ran into some trouble with the law.

In September 2015, the University of West Alabama announced that Tyreek would play football for the West Alabama Tigers. He was used as a running back, wide receiver, kick returner, and punt returner while playing for the Tigers.

Andy Reid and the Chiefs offer Tyreek another shot at making it

If you were following the 2016 NFL Draft, you’d have noticed that Tyreek almost missed out on joining Andy Reid’s project in Missouri.

After much contemplation, the Chiefs picked Hill in the 5th-round (165th overall). However, they found themselves at the receiving end of a lot of backlash from the fans following his acquisition.

USA Today via Reuters

But here’s what coach Reid said after the NFL Draft concluded.

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“There has to be a certain trust here, but there’s just things that we can’t go into and go through. We want people to understand, like Dorse said, we’re not going to do anything to put this community or this organization in a bind.

“We uncovered every possible stone that we possibly could, and we feel very comfortable with that part of it,” Reid said via Sporting News.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Hill has repaid the faith placed in him by the Chiefs management. His chemistry with QB Patrick Mahomes is the stuff of legends.

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Over time, Hill has successfully managed to put his troubled past behind him and build a legacy for himself in Missouri. More power to you, Cheetah!

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Written by:

Daniel Arambur

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Daniel Arambur is an NFL writer and content strategist for EssentiallySports.With more than 1,000 articles, he is one of the senior writers in the NFL cohort at ES. A mass media graduate from the University of Mumbai, Daniel has found the perfect blend of vocation and passion in the sports content niche.
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