JACKSON – A mega star, a superstar, a superduper star captivated 225 athletes and numerous fans at Adventure Crossing USA.
Tyreek Hill, a one-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs and an eight-time Pro Bowler in his first eight seasons in the NFL, led the Tyreek Hill Youth Football and Speed Camp 2024 on Mother’s Day.
The wide receiver earned the nickname Cheetah because of his blazing speed. Utilizing the ability to catch balls in heavy traffic with the moves of a gymnast, Hill paced the league in receiving yards during the 2023 regular season with 1,799 despite missing three games with the Miami Dolphins. He caught 119 passes for a two-way tie for second and finished in a two-way tie for first place in receiving touchdowns with 13.
The five-time first-team All-Pro and one-time second-team All-Pro selection has caught 717 passes for 10,139 career yards. He has scored 88 overall touchdowns, including 76 as a wide receiver. The former Garden City Community College (Kans.), Oklahoma State and West Alabama player helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV, catching nine passes for 105 yards. Chosen by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, he’s in his third season with the Dolphins.
The owner of 4.29 speed in the 40-yard dash, Hill demonstrated the mechanics of speed by displaying various running techniques. He showed proper catching techniques. Athletes ages 6-17 were divided carnival style by age group and assigned to beginning stations. They rotated from station to station as each station had an allotted time frame. Hill rotated from station to station, coaching and demonstrating drills and competing against the athletes.
Hill coaches from the Soul Runner Speed Academy, which sponsored the event, presented awards to the camp’s Most Valuable Player and the camp’s fastest camper. Hill challenged the fastest campers in their age group to a foot race. Founded in 2022, the organization is located in Atlanta.
Each athlete received a group photo with Hill and a Tyreek Hill Youth Football and Speed Camp 2024 T-shirt to wear during the event. Athletes also received random camp giveaway/challenge items. Hill posed for pictures, signed autographs and mingled with athletes and fans. Fees for participating ranged from $175-1,100. Parents and athletes competed for prizes.
Athletes roared in rhythm, “We want Cheetah. We want Cheetah,” as Hill began drills on the artificial surface at the indoor facility.
“Ya gotta be coachable,” he told his students as he dabbed at eyes with a handkerchief in his right hand. “Ya gotta learn the proper techniques and fundamentals. Hustle. Hustle. Here we go.”
Leading the sprint drills, Hill exhorted the athletes, demanding, “C’mon. C’mon.”
Wearing cleats, he praised an athlete, stating, “Let’s go, Jay. That’s a good one. That’s a good one.”
Hill spent the Saturday prior to Mother’s Day teaching his beloved sport in Philadelphia.
“There are a lot of people here,” he told the athletes. “In Philadelphia, it was so loud. I need you guys to bring energy. I love this game so much. Bring emotion all day. I need to be able to feel ya all. Cheer for each other. That’s what football is about. Playing football in a high energy environment is the greatest thing. I need you guys to be real uncomfortable. If you are not a talker, be a talker. I am high energy all day.”
Prior to the drills, Hill dressed up as Aquarius Green, delighting athletes and fans. His costume, including make-up, was removed by two women outside of the field. He changed into his jersey as he walked toward the drills, revealing a chiseled 5-foot-10, 185-pound frame.
“It’s been real,” he told the media with a laugh. “Now, it’s back to the real me. I hope to get the chance to do this again. When you pull off the stuff off my face, it feels so good. This is a nice facility. My goal this year is 2,000 (receiving yards). I am excited. Never judge a book by its cover. Anybody can be Tyreek Hill.”
Hill’s mother, Virginia, attended the event.
“I used to be afraid of him playing football,” she said. “I did not want him to play. He said, ‘I can get hurt anywhere.’ I told him, ‘You can play football as long as you can run. Get out there.’ “
Athletes clapped for their moms and said, “Happy Mother’s Day.” Attending the event were Abby Lavender and her son, Gabe, 10, who plays safety and cornerback for the Toms River Warriors of the American Youth Football League. They reside in Toms River.
“It is awesome,” she said. “It’s a great experience for the boys. Tyreek is a good role model. He teaches teamwork. He makes football fun. It’s the best Mother’s Day ever to see my son having fun.”
Athletes and their parents wore Hill’s No. 10 Miami jersey. An event organizer was former Toms River High School East and East Carolina University player Rashon Burns, whose bid to play tight end for the Chicago Bears was derailed by a back injury. Burns and his son, Justus were impressed with an event featuring Hill in the Bronx last June.
“I called Tyreek and his crew three to five times a day to get this camp here,” Rashon Burns said. “The experience was so amazing. I lobbied his crew every day. They said, ‘Dude, you are relentless.’
“The purpose of this camp was to help our community and bring it together. It fell on Mother’s Day and it’s all about children having a great time. There is no money in this for me. I want to see kids smile.”
Smiling was Leaghi Cirollo,11, of Toms River Township. She attended the event in a wheelchair and spent time with Hill.
“She had a rare brain disease, which required nine hours of surgery two days ago,” Burns said. “I follow her family on Facebook and I noticed she is an avid football fan. Her family faces a $400,000 medical bill. My number one goal is to make sure she and her family are taken care of. Her surgery was complication free.”
It’s the third year for the camp and its first in New Jersey.
“The average attendance is 175,” said camp director Julius Collins, Hill’s attorney. “A lot of girls win camp MVPs even though they compete against the boys. The girls are serious. We donate the proceeds throughout the year to the Tyreek Hill Family Foundation and to non-profit charity organizations – a lot of them to be honest with you.”
Other stops this year were to London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Orlando, Miami and Hill’s home of Douglas, Ga. Future trips are to Oklahoma City, Jacksonville, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Iowa, Virginia Beach, Rochester, N.Y., Albany, N.Y., Montreal and Toronto.
“Tyreek is the fastest man in the NFL,” Collins said. “He has likability. He loves kids. Kids love him. He’s 30 and I have known him since he was a baby. I have seen amazing growth. His popularity level is insane. He is a mature and grown man. To be on this journey with him …”
The local event was originally scheduled for the Monsignor Donovan Athletic Complex in Toms River on Mother’s Day. It was moved to Veterans Park in Berkeley Township on Mother’s Day. Fears of inclement weather brought the event to the Jackson Township bubble.
“Some of the parents were upset at the location change,” Collins said, “but we wanted a bigger venue. We did not want to have kids outside in this weather. Safety and comfort first. We want a family friendly atmosphere.”
Burns hopes the camp returns next year.
“Absolutely,” he said. “We had to turn away 1,000 kids from this year’s camp. This event sold out in just a few days because Tyreek Hill is one of the biggest draws in football.
“Tyreek’s story is absolutely relatable and amazing. All of these kids dream of being the Cheetah one day and playing in the NFL,” he said.
