Tyreek Hill raised eyebrows Sunday when he was seen shoving assistant coach Greg Lewis during the Kansas City Chiefs’ playoff win against the Cleveland Browns.
There was no escalation after the shove, but many on social media were quick to criticize the wide receiver for his actions. On Wednesday, Hill was asked about the incident.
“It’s just my energy level,” he explained to reporters. “I feel like I play the game with so much passion. Not only me, but we put so much into this game. I come off the sideline fired up and I just give my coach a shove. That’s just me and my personality, man. I’m just fired up and happy to be in the NFL and to be a part of this great organization.
“A lot of people see it as me being a hothead on the sideline or being a diva. It wasn’t like that,” he continued. “I was just fired up and trying to give the guys energy. I wish everyone would’ve just thought about it. If I were to really have pushed my coach, everybody would’ve been holding me back. It was just us being fired up, giggling, laughing. We’re just enjoying each other. That’s all it was.”
Hill was held tight by the Browns’ defense in the game. He had three catches for nine yards, but he caught the pass from Chad Henne that sealed the game.
Kansas City defeated Cleveland, 22-17. The Chiefs will play the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship on Sunday.