The world is presumably one step closer to a race between Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Olympic 100-meter gold medalist Noah Lyles.
Hill challenged Lyles to a 50-yard race Sunday, the latest in a series of barbs between the former Super Bowl champion and the American sprinter.
The feud began this month when Hill was asked on the “Up & Adams” podcast about Lyles’ comments that champions in American sports leagues shouldn’t be considered world champions. Lyles made the comments about NBA players last summer, drawing ire from those athletes and making him somewhat of a polarizing figure for a decorated Olympian.
“Noah Lyles can’t say nothing after what just happened to him,” Hill told Kay Adams, referring to Lyles’ winning bronze in the 200 meters after having run with Covid. “Pretend like he’s sick, I feel like that’s horseradish. So for him to do that and say that we’re not world champions of our sport, come on, bruh. Just speak on what you know about, and that’s track.”
Hill, asked what would happen if they were to race, then added: “I would beat Noah Lyles. I wouldn’t beat him by a lot, but I would beat Noah Lyles.”
Lyles responded several times, first feigning not to know who Hill is in an interview with NBC Sports.
“What’s the cheetah guy from football? Well, I can’t remember his name,” Lyles said.
Then, pressed about Hill on the “Nightcap” podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, he said Hill was just “chasing clout.”
“Any time someone fast comes up, he would try to race them. If he really wanted to race people, he would’ve showed up like DK Metcalf,” Lyles said, referring to the Seattle Seahawks receiver who raced in the 2020 Olympic trials.
“The man dodges smoke. I don’t got time for that. He’s challenging me. We’re racing in the 100, we can race. If he’s truly serious about it. If he’s truly serious about it, and I’m not talking about you’re just talking on the internet ... you’ll see me on the track"
Hill is generally considered one of the fastest players in the NFL, if not the fastest. He ran track in college, posting a personal best of 10.19 seconds in the 100 meters. Lyles won gold in Paris, running a 9.79 over the same distance.
Hill’s challenge to a 50-yard race would be a little less than half the distance of a 100-meter sprint. As of Tuesday morning, Lyles had yet to respond.