Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Just to address running backs first, do you expect to have RB Raheem Mostert and RB De’Von Achane on Thursday?) – “Raheem, no. De’Von, we’ll see how it plays out today. Thursday night games are probably the – it probably should be your triggering point, because I (don’t know). You got to realize – what is today? Today is Wednesday, right? OK, guys are just typically – when we do have padded practices, we don’t even have them until Thursday because typically, after an NFL game, Wednesday, guys are still working through their ailments from the game previous. So there’s several guys that we’ll be feeling out and we’ll go from there.”
(I asked you about this at the owners meetings with WR Tyreek Hill and his off-field adventures and had you guys talked to him about them. Have you talked to him after this latest episode? And what was the response, if you can share any of that with us?) – “Meaning like what?”
(The incident at the marina, and the incident with the social media influencer – just the things that he’s gotten into off the field. Have you talked to him about trying to straighten up or anything like that?) – “I talk to these guys about everything that occurs, good and bad. I talk to Tyreek (Hill) about all the days that he’s not in the headlines, because there’s a lot of those too. And I think it’s important to just as people, in my role, where I’m trying to find every way to squeeze out all the potential in the human being. The name of the name is growth, and I think a lot of times it is what it is, like you are held accountable for the things that people know. And when you are in the headlines in any negative way, that’s everyone’s timeline, that’s fair. However, there’s much more to that. Sometimes while you’re taking a lot of steps forward, there’s a step back. We talk through everything so that we can be our best versions of ourselves, which I think Tyreek is a different human being than when I first met him. He just continues to evolve, and I think that’s the nature of a lot of guys’ journeys right now.”
(What was your reaction to the body cam video?) – “I think I’m emotioned out, so I’m going to try to use words that don’t – I mean I just, enough people have seen me cry. But there was that. It wasn’t shock; it was sadness. Right when you see it, and then for an hour or two afterward, what was that Monday night? Spent time talking to some players on the phone and then spent some time talking to some staff members that I knew with our history together that had experienced similar things firsthand. You just don’t – not shock but sadness, for sure.”
(Now that you’ve seen the video, is there anything you think WR Tyreek Hill could have done differently in that situation?) – “Yeah, I mean there’s always things you can do. I think we are conditioned here in what we talk about everyday is things that you can improve upon. I think it’s important to say that – I mean that’s a totally separate conversation than I think should be the one focused on at hand – but for sure and absolutely. That’s the first thing you do when you’re talking to an individual directly. I think the conversation about what provoked unnecessary is trivial to the unnecessary.”
(With RB Raheem Mostert, when did the chest injury occur in the game?) – “It was early, and part of the procedure on our team, the working relationship that I have across the board, it’s very much need to know in a situation where, particularly running back, where we like to rotate. He was working through it during the game, and I’ve learned – honestly, might be the last guy I will ask if they’re good because he’s quite literally, case in point – his injury, not many people play with. So the information that I get from him when I ask him, he’s going to tell me he’s good. He showed his tough – he just gave his teammates another example of how he’s built different.”
(Is this an injury that is rest related, primarily for Thursday night’s game on a short week? Or is this an injury that could sideline him for a couple of weeks?) – “I would say closer to the former, but not ruling out the latter. But it’s like right – my sense is that it’s not something that time won’t take care of, however, I’m definitely not going to make him worse by setting forth my expectations of when he’s going to play again.”
(Is OL Liam Eichenberg OK?) – “(Liam) Eichenberg is always OK.”
(Can you take us through your hoodie? ‘Miami Different,’ it kind of seems like the saying – what does it represent inside this building?) – “I forgot what I was wearing, and it happens to be black on black, but it’s a t-shirt. I don’t know – the early attachment I made in life from my vantage point was a greatness is inherently different. So if you’re trying to win more than you lose, if you’re trying to do something that maybe the organization maybe hasn’t achieved in 24 years, if you’re trying to stand out in the world, I think different is an analogous with everybody that’s achieved anything is inherently different than the rest of the population. I think leaning into that, I think creating our own standard for what we think our football should look like, creating our own standard for how we treat each other and how we go about our brand of football. I think the Miami Dolphins, the word play Miami Different – all of it plays a part in it, but it’s something that I kind of have to lean into because have you seen me? I mean… (laughter) So it’s something that I think describes the way our group of players, coaches and the building, what they’re attempting, what they’re working towards is to be different.”
(Team-issued shirt, or a team-produced shirt?) – “Team-produced shirt, this was – I generally allow all information to come at me before we start doing designed shirts. I think this might have been a three in the morning the Tuesday previous to get it done before our first game.”
(Going back to WR Tyreek Hill for a second, we could hear him in the video saying I just had surgery on my knee and alluding to some discomfort he was in. What can you share about any surgery he’s had or if he’s expressed to you in the past few days of any discomfort that he’s been in?) – “Minor procedure that he makes sure that he takes care of and keeps out of a compromising position as best as he can control.”
(This happened before the season?) – “Yeah.”
(In the offseason?) – “Yeah.”
(DT Zach Sieler said yesterday, “It’s time to take the East, let’s go for it.” I’m assuming that with this being Bills week, that that is a theme and a mindset that you embrace and endorse?) – “If you want to do anything in this league, generally you can’t skip over the much-mandated step of winning your division. There is one team that has won the division consecutive years that you can say that they, by de facto, own the division until somebody takes it from them. I think it’s pretty obvious, but I think it’s also something that they have earned and we would like to be in the situation where we earn the same thing. There is one way to do that, you’ve got to beat your division opponents. We have our first of six division games.”
(Between CB Jalen Ramsey and LB Jaelan Phillips on the short week, could they play a similar snap count that you saw on Sunday? Could they have an uptick? Will you draw back a little bit, which one?) – “That is very much in all literal terms so we’re planning on the gray. We have to plan for uptick, same or downshift. In a short week, that’s what’s tricky is you kind of don’t know until they’re at the stadium. It just takes an extra layer of preparation that guys are definitely prepared for.”
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
WR Tyreek Hill
(Opening statement) – “Before we get started, I just want to say this is a very important day in history so just want to say to the fallen soldiers, to everybody who was a part of 9/11 – my prayers are with you and your family always, to the police officers, to the firefighters across the world. We thank you.”
(I asked Head Coach Mike McDaniel at the owners meetings whether he had talked to you about some of your off-field incidents. He said “Yes, Tyreek has been very transparent. We’ve had clear communication.” And I asked him today about that and he said, “Tyreek has grown in a lot of ways since he’s been here.” In what ways do you think that you’ve grown since you’ve been here?) – “He’s right about that. I’ll tell you what, man. I was talking to my mom and my wife last night. I told them, what I went through the other day has happened at the right time in my life because of the way I’ve matured, the way I’ve been handling myself with my kids, stepping up as a father, just all of that. So the older I’ve been getting, the more I’ve been realizing how important it is for me to just be a pro’s pro. Obviously when you first come into the league, you just want to have fun, do whatever you want to do. I’ve done all that. I now see how important it is to be a father, be a husband, be a son and just be a family man that my grandparents raised me to be. So that’s the maturity he’s talking about, so when my teammates see me now, I’m with my wife, I’m with my kids; I’m enjoying life, man. I’m slowing my life down. I’m not doing the crazy things that I used to do when I first came into the league. I’m handling myself with a lot of dignity now and a lot of respect and I’m representing my last name well.”
(And a follow-up to that – do you think you did anything wrong in this situation? Do you think that your attitude could have been different to the police? Do you think you could’ve kept your window down? Have you thought about that?) – “Yeah, I have. I have. My whole life is all about accountability. Like how can I get better? So right now, I have family members who are cops. We’ve had conversations. Yes, I will say I could’ve been better. I could’ve let down my window in that instant, but the thing about me is I don’t want attention. I don’t want to be cameras out, phones on you in that moment. But at the end of the day I’m human. I’ve got to follow rules, I’ve got to do what everyone else would do. Now, does that give them the right to literally beat the dog out of me? Absolutely not. But at the end of the day, I wish I could go back and do things a bit differently.”
(When I spoke with Head Coach Mike McDaniel, he said that when he first saw the video, he wasn’t shocked by it; in fact, it saddened him. When you first saw the video, what were the emotions that came over you?) – “I’m unfazed. I’m unfazed. I’m one of those guys I’m unfazed by it because I’m not the only one that goes through that, and where I’m from, you typically see that a lot and you don’t hear about it because not everybody has the same resources as Tyreek Hill. Not everybody has the name Tyreek Hill or not able to call a Drew Brooks or Drew Rosenhaus or something like that. So I’m really unfazed to it, you feel me? That’s why I was able to go out and play the way I did because I’m numb to it. It’s kind of expected.”
(Just to follow up, you said that you would’ve handled yourself a little bit differently. For other people out there seeing that video, is there a message you may have for them about how to handle themselves in a similar situation?) – “I don’t have a message for them yet, but I’m sure I will. So ask me that question again next week sometime. I’m pretty sure I will, because right now I’m in the process of putting together a good plan so that way I can work with those guys. Because I think it’s good, man, I think we should lean on each other. Like we have influence on the community and I don’t think that we should use this as a moment to separate people or divide people or make it a battle or anything like that, because I still love cops. I want to be a cop. I’ve been standing on the table for the cops, but at the end of the day right now what I’m focused on is my job and that’s to play football. And that’s all that I can be – the best football player I can be.”
(How are you yourself handling the situation? Obviously it’s a lot of trauma so are you OK?) – “Yeah, I’m good. Like I said I’m really unfazed to it all. I’ve been praying a lot with my wife, having conversations with my mom a lot, talking to my kids a lot because at the end of the day, those are the most important people in my life. Those are the people that are in my circle and I could care less about whatever somebody else has to say about me or the situation or whatever goes on. I think the biggest thing for me is just making sure that I’m all right and my family has been doing a great job of that because they ask me literally every five seconds, ‘Are you all right? Are you all right? Are you all right?’ I’m like, ‘I’m good, I’m good.’ Like I went to the grocery store last night. My wife called me literally like, 10 times. It’s crazy. I’m good.”
(Obviously you’re used to living your life in the spotlight, but having a vulnerable moment like that when you saw the body cam footage come out. You say you’re good, but what was that experience like to have again, that vulnerable of a moment broadcast to the world?) – “I was actually watching ‘Beetlejuice’ at the time. I was in the movie theater when it released. Drew Brooks called me. He was like, ‘you know they released the body cam?’ I’m like, ‘What? I’m watching ‘Beetlejuice’ – I’ve got to leave?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, go outside real quick.’ So I went outside, watched it and for me I feel like I handled myself well in that situation, but obviously like I said I could be better. But it’s shell-shocking. It’s really crazy to know that you have officers in this world that will literally do that with body cams on. It’s sad. It’s really sad. Which brings up another conversation and leads into what would they do if they didn’t have body cams? Which is even crazier so it’s a lot to unpack. It’s a lot to unpack. It’s a lot we can learn. Like I think in football, how we get better from things is we watch the tape and we get better from it, and this instance, we should do the same. Like a lot of people want to critique. A lot of people want to criticize, a lot of people want to do this. But I think this can be a learning tool for everybody. Everybody. Civilians, officers around the world, like how to do conduct whenever they pull people over. Like we all can learn. We’re in this thing together. We live in this thing – we’re on earth together – so the only way we get better is A – we hold ourselves accountable and we get better from it. That’s how I get better in football.”
(Has it been tough this week to kind of separate the incident and what you have ahead of you on Thursday night?) – “Not for real because like I said, I’m not going to mix the two. I’m not going to take a knee. I’m not going to ask to defund the police. I’m not going to protest. I’m not going to do any of that when it comes to being inside of this football, because this is my therapy. Football is my therapy – this is how I get away from a lot of stuff. This is how I separate myself from past traumas in my life. So no, I’m not going to mix the two.
(In the video you said that you had knee surgery – Head Coach Mike McDaniel said you had a minor operation. What did you have done and when did it happen?) – “So I did have a minor procedure done in Antigua – just some stem cells injected into my body, that’s it. A lot of people don’t know that because I just be on the low with it, but yeah.
(To me, in situations like this – and I know you said you want to see some change and some good come out of this, and I know that you just said you could have handled yourself differently. To me, you need to see some apologies and compromise from both sides. Do you think we will eventually see that, or do you think this is going to be a political, divisive thing for the next few weeks or months, what do you think?) – “When you say apology, who do you mean? From who?”
(Both sides – I mean I think both sides need to kind of say, ‘I could have handled myself better,’ I know you just said that.) – “They already tried, but we declined. It’s up to everybody else’s judgement to have their own opinion about how they feel about the video.”
(Are you optimistic that we will hear that from the other side? Do you think that kind of change – are we moving in this direction on this matter do you think?) – “I don’t know, man. It’s tough to say because it’s so hard. You never know. You never know in situations like this, but my whole goal and my whole thing around this whole thing is to not go backwards. I don’t want us to go backwards, I want us to be able to move forward in this moment. I had so many people like, ‘Oh, let’s rally,’ and I’m like, ‘No, let’s chill. Let’s relax. Let’s put our minds together and let’s think. Let’s think of better ways we can get better. Let’s not do that, bruh. We’re smarter than that.’”
(How would you describe some of the physical actions that occurred against you? Some of them might not be clear on camera, some might not have even been on camera – what are some things you can tell us happened?) – “I don’t know, it was crazy bruh. I thought I was in a movie, that’s why I really couldn’t get turned up for real. I’m like, ‘Damn, is this really happening?’ But man, I don’t know – choked, pinched, kicked, all that man. But you know what? Like I said, man – what I said Sunday, I’m just glad to be here so I can tell the story with y’all because this is truly shocking to me. It’s embarrassing because I got kids and when I facetimed my kids, they’re like, ‘Dad, are you all right? Are you all right?’ And I’m like, ‘Your dad’s all right, man.’ But it’s good though, my kids get to see me in a different light. I get to like come up with my own ideas and own plan to help change the narrative of who we are, or who I am anyways. So I think it’s good. My kids get to see me in a different light instead of playing football; they get to see me as like a hero in this aspect now. So it’s a win-win, man.”
(Your lawyer has come out and said that he’s looking for the dismissal of the officer, do you – what does that mean?) – “Gone.”
(So you want the officer –) – “Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. He got to go, man. Because in that instance right there, not only did he treat me bad, he also treated my teammates with disrespect. He had some crazy words toward them, and they ain’t even do nothing. Like what did they do to you? They’re just walking on the sidewalk. So I don’t know, he got to go. There’s not too many times that Cheetah say people got to go, but – you, out. What do they say on Wild ‘N Out? Gone.”
