When the Kansas City Chiefs last played in Tampa Bay back in Week 12, the Buccaneers defense got an up-close look at the devastating speed of WR Tyreek Hill.
Widely considered the fastest player in the NFL, “The Cheetah” torched a young, but talented Bucs secondary in the 27-24 win to the tune of 269 yards and three touchdowns on 13 catches, with an NFL-record 210 yards coming in the first half alone. Hill will next look to help his team to another victory on February 7 in Super Bowl LV. However, he may have some competition for title of “fastest player on the field” — at least according to one Buccaneers counterpart.
In an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday morning, Bucs second-year wideout Scotty Miller was asked how he would perform in a foot race against Hill.
“Oh, I’m taking me every day of the week,” Miller told host Dan Patrick. “I’ll take me over anybody. Tyreek [Hill] is unbelievable. Super quick. Unbelievable talent. But if we’re talking about a race, I’ve got all the confidence in myself going up against anybody.”
When asked if he also believes himself to be the fastest player in the NFL, Miller’s response was straight to the point.
“Yes, sir.”
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Miller’s Claim Draws Quick Response From Hill, Others on Social Media
Within two hours of the clip hitting social media, Hill took to Twitter with a complimentary, but possibly tongue-in-cheek response to Miller’s claims.
In a follow-up interview taping with Patrick, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes called Miller’s claim “an interesting take” before confirming that “I like my guy … versus anybody” when asked for his thoughts.
We just taped an interview with @PatrickMahomes… Here was his response to Scotty Miller (@MillerTime___10) saying that he’d beat Tyreek Hill (@Cheetah) in a race.
The full interview will air on tomorrow’s show on @PeacockTV and @FoxSportsRadio
Others from around the football world have also chimed in on the idea.
Miller Ran a 4.36 at His 2019 College Pro Day
Neither Hill nor Miller — selected in the fifth and sixth rounds of their respective drafts — attended the NFL Scouting Combine during their pre-draft process. Instead, the speedsters elected to put on a show at their college pro days.
While pro day times bring more skepticism due to the tendency of schools to potentially embellish numbers to boost their players’ draft stock, history settles the debate on this one.
In 2019, Miller officially clocked a 4.36-second 40-yard-dash time at Bowling Green, according to NFL Combine Results. Though the mark is contested in some other places, such as Miller’s NFL.com prospect profile which cites 4.39 seconds.
At his West Alabama pro day in 2016, Hill, also a two-time medalist for the United States at the 2012 World Junior Championships, nearly bested Miller’s impressive time by a full tenth of a second, clocking in at 4.29 seconds, per NFL Combine Results. Only Henry Ruggs of the Las Vegas Raiders (4.27 seconds in 2020) has logged a faster official time leading up to the draft.
Hill & Miller Put on Impressive Displays Last Weekend
The 26-year-old Chiefs star, now a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler in as many seasons, has been on the receiving end of these types of claims since entering the league in 2016. After Hill knocked off Hall of Famer Terrell Owens and fellow All-Pro Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson in a foot race last July, Marquise Goodwin, Jakeem Grant and Adam Schefter (jokingly, of course) are some of the names still awaiting their shot at the throne.
While competitors will be competitors, here are just a few recent examples of the beast Miller and others are up against in Hill, including this nine-yard slant he turned into a 71-yard gain during Sunday’s AFC Championship win:
Tyreek Hill’s speed is just different 🤯
(via @NFL)
Tyreek Hill reached a top speed of 20.76 MPH on this 71-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes, Hill’s 12th play reaching 20+ MPH this season, most in the NFL.
Hill gained 65 yards after catch, +55 over expected, the 4th-most YACOE on a play this season.
Tyreek was the only one catching Damien Williams on this 91-yard TD 🤣
(via @Chiefs)
All of Tyreek Hill’s touches against the Bucs in Week 12
However, Miller’s quickness was also on full display over the weekend, highlighted by his 39-yard dagger of a touchdown to end the first half against the Green Bay Packers.
There’s also this clip of Miller — nicknamed “Scooter” — on his Barrington, Illinois high school track team, shared by Pat McAfee.
Scotty Miller can SCOOT SCOOT 💨💨
Perhaps the hypothetical race would be much closer than the stat sheet from the last time the conference champions met on the field.
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Chris Licata is an NFL contributor covering the Kansas City Chiefs from enemy territory in Denver, Colorado. Follow him on Twitter @Chris__Licata or join the Heavy on Chiefs Facebook community for the latest out of Chiefs Kingdom!
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Bucs WR Scotty Miller Makes Bold Claim Against Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill