“I want to change the game forever,” said Tyreek Hill, a superstar for the Miami Dolphins who became the first receiver in NFL history to record consecutive 1,700-yard seasons. Going forward this may appear too much for a player like him who has broken records before. However, that was also what people said about his going from obscurity to stardom in the NFL.

According to the Miami Herald, Tyreek Hill has claimed that he wants to be seen as something of a role model for short players in the NFL. “I want to be looked at as the guy who set the standard for short players in the league. I’m not just a guy who can stretch the field. I can play the position all the way around,” he said after being named by his peers as the number one overall player on NFL Network’s top 100 list–something no wide receiver had ever accomplished before.

The “Cheetah’s movement from troubled upbringing to NFL stardom makes him believe that there is nothing impossible with height when it comes to success in football, “My grandparents did everything they could for me. We had a home, but we didn’t have money to pay the lights and [bills],” Hill stated. “I’d have to go to my aunts, uncles, and friend’s houses to take showers. Nobody knew my whole senior year.”

These obstacles strengthened an indomitable spirit within him, making it almost impossible for him to lose hope. Right now, Hill’s focus is on leaving behind an everlasting legacy in football. He hopes to become one of those rare receivers like Jerry Rice or Randy Moss who get elected into the Hall of Fame as soon as they are eligible. “Coming from a small town, just being able to make it to the NFL was the greatest accomplishment for myself,” Hill gushed. “But it would be amazing for me to be immortalized.”

Not only does Hill strive for personal achievements. His main objective is winning the Dolphins’ first playoff game since 2000 and taking them to the Super Bowl. Although he still looks forward to reaching 2k receiving yards in one season, Hill admits it won’t come easy.” “I’m not saying [2K] is off the table,” he explained. “But I understand how the season goes. Teams prepare to take me out of games.”

As Hill continues to make records and defy expectations, his journey has featured a combination of admiration and playful banter from fellow players. This is best seen in his ongoing friendly rivalry with former teammate Patrick Mahomes.

Patrick Mahomes throws height shade, hill claps back

The football world went into overdrive when Hill stated that he was better than his old friend, Patrick Mahomes. This wasn’t the first time the two players have been involved in a media storm due to their weird competitiveness. The year 2020 saw an epic exchange on Twitter after a fight about Hill’s height started. When Hill argued that he was 5’10”, Mahomes couldn’t help himself: “That man 5’8 don’t lie to him.” Even teammate Anthony Hitchens jumped in with a joke at Hill’s expense, saying, “You 6’0 brah”.

Fast forward four years later and Hill’s top rank in the NFL 100 list has rekindled fires of friendship. When asked to give his take on why he’s better than the Chiefs‘ quarterback, Hill didn’t mince words on the Up & Adams Show: “My argument is you gotta look at it like this, Pat is great, he’s great obviously for his team, you feel me? They won two, back-to-back Super Bowls, they did their thing, right? You look at me, two back-to-back 1700 (yards), Pro Bowl, All-Pro, this, that, consistency, all that man, you feel me? I’m doing this at 5’8, 5’9.”

Hill is full of confidence which rubs off on others as he also plays not only for himself, “I’m giving all the short kings out there hope, all the short kings across the world hope.” His mission resonates in a league where size often seems to matter most.

The NFL has a rich history of “short kings” who’ve defied expectations. Take Deuce Vaughn, the Dallas Cowboys’ 2023 sixth-round pick. At 5’5″, he’s currently one of the shortest active NFL players. Vaughn’s college coach, Sam Robinson, recalled the skepticism once: “They would say, ‘He is just so small.’ We would say, ‘All he will do for you is score touchdowns.'”

Then there’s J.J. Taylor, the 5’5¼” return specialist for the Texans. His ex-coach, Ivan Fears, put it best: “As a runner, this son-of-a-gun, I’ll tell you what: He’s gonna cause some people some problems.”

But perhaps the most inspiring tale belongs to Jack Shapiro. At 5’1″ and 119 pounds, Shapiro holds the record as the shortest and smallest NFL player ever. He played just one game in 1929, but his impact on the league’s history is immeasurable.

As Hill continues his quest to redefine success for shorter players, he’s standing on the shoulders of giants – even if those giants didn’t always measure up on the height chart. With each catch, each touchdown, and each record-breaking season, Hill is proving that in the NFL, it’s not about how tall you stand, but how big you play.

Hill’s Dolphins head coach, Mike McDaniel, summed it up perfectly to the Miami Herald: “He’s one of one. He’s a shorter player that doesn’t play small, and that is his edge.” As Hill chases Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving record of 1,964 yards and eyes the unprecedented 2,000-yard mark, he’s not just rewriting the record books. He’s changing the game’s perception of what’s possible, one electrifying play at a time.