Tyreek Hill Strikes Good Tone In Admitting Mistakes During Incident: 'I Could Have Been Better' | Salguero

Tyreek Hill began his press conference on Wednesday remembering the fallen of Sept. 11, 2001 and that was actually not the most thoughtful moment he had in a wide-ranging talk with reporters.

"It's a very important day in history, so, just want to say to the fallen soldiers, to everybody that was a part of 9-11, my prayers are with you and your families always," Hill said. "To the police officers, the firefighters across the world, we thank you."

Hill Might Be Silencing Critics

And if you've been criticizing Hill for his role in the traffic stop by Miami-Dade Police on Sunday – an incident that has gone viral – that salute to 9-11 was just the beginning.

Hill said he has thought a lot about the incident and his role in the matter. And in his desire to mature and handle himself "with a lot of dignity and a lot of respect," he is showing something of a fresher perspective on the incident. 

"My whole life is all about accountability. Like, how can I get better?" Hill began. "Right now, I have family members who are cops. We've had conversations. Yes, I will say, I could have been better. I could have let down my window in that instant.

"…I'm human. I got to follow rules. I 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."

Tyreek Hill demands cop be fired after being detained. (Credit: Getty Images)

Hill Working On A Plan

If that doesn't diffuse the narrative that Hill is an entitled athlete expecting cops to answer to him instead of the other way around, I don't know what does. 

This column suggested on Wednesday morning that both sides apologize to one another in an effort to show love. A Miami reporter, obviously reading OutKick, suggested that to Hill.

Hill didn't embrace that noble idea. But Hill apparently is trying to devise a plan in which he sends a message to the public that unites rather than divides – as this episode has seemingly done so far.

"Right now, I'm in the process of putting together a pretty good game plan so that way I can work with those guys," Hill said. "I think it's good, man. I think we should lean on each other. We have influence on the community and I don't think we should use this as a moment to separate people or divide people or make it a battle, or anything like that, man, because I still love cops. 

"I want to be a cop. I would stand on the table for cops."

Hill Not Kneeling Or Defunding Police

That's not all.

Hill has seen in the past when athletes become social justice warriors. That's not the direction he's headed with his football career right now.

"I'm not going to mix the two," he said. "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 football.

"Because this is my therapy. Football is my therapy and how I get away from a lot of stuff and how I separate myself from past traumas in my life. I'm not going to mix the two."

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) reacts after the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Miami Dolphins on September 8, 2024 at Hard Rock Stadium in Maimi Gardens, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

No Demonstrations From Hill, Either

Hill said he's had people approach him and try to convince him to do some sort of public demonstration or rally.

"I'm like, nah, like chill, let's relax," Hill said. "Let's put our minds together and let's think. Let's think of better ways to get better. Let's not do that, bro. We smarter than that."

Having said all that, Hill still wants the officer involved in the incident fired. 

He said he was "choked, pinched, kicked" and that is not something he thinks an officer on the street should be able to continue doing. So he wants the guy gone.

"Gone," Hill said. "Gone, gone, gone, gone. He got to go, man. Because in that instant right there, not only did he treat me bad, but he treated my teammates with disrespect. He had some crazy words towards 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 Cheetah says people got to go, but you, out."