06 January 2024 , 18:19
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Wide receiver Tyreek Hill has handed the Miami Dolphins a timely boost as he returned to practice following two days away after a blaze tore through his family home in Florida.
Fire and rescue crews tackled the fire at the sprawling mansion in the Southwest Ranches neighbourhood on January 3, with the NFL star having rushed home after news emerged. He had been preparing for the Dolphins' crunch clash with the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East title decider.
The 29-year-old's seven-bedroom pad, located 30 miles away from downtown Miami, cost him a cool $6.9m (£5.4m) back in 2022. With black smoke billowing out of the property, Hill could only look on with horror alongside wife Keeta Vaccaro, as firefighters tackled the inferno.
Following the harrowing ordeal, it appears that the one-time Super Bowl victor was eager to get back to work as his team faces a regular-season finale for the ages. He returned to the team's training base to undergo a full practice session in the lead-up to their blockbuster showdown with the Bills.
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Now, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has expressed his sympathies for Hill and his family in the aftermath of their horrific ordeal this week. Speaking ahead of the Buffalo game, he said: "There was a feeling of violation. Your home is burning, then you go back and see it -- there's a loss there. Yes, thankfully there's insurance but it's not as easy as that.
"It's a life adjustment, immediately. That's your safe place, your home that he is now dealing with ... It's a major stressor for sure. Thankfully, Reek has the support of his family and his teammates. It's not something that you wish upon anyone. It was definitely scary."
Likewise, star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa empathised with his colleague as he also offered some words of support to his teammate's family. "I think that would be difficult for, not just my teammates, but for anyone in general to be going through what Tyreek is going through right now," he said.
Tyreek Hill was allowed two days away from practice by the Miami Dolphins after the fireHe added: "I think the main thing is his family is safe. His loved ones are good. He's good as well. I know it's a little cliche to say, but those things like that, part of the house, some of those things can be replaceable. I'm just glad that a lot of his family members are safe."
The fire at the NFL star's home was eventually put out by personnel from the Davie Fire Rescue Department and nobody was hurt in the blaze. An investigation into the incident confirmed that the fire was started 'accidentally', with fire marshal Robert Taylor stating that it started as a result of a child playing with a lighter in a bedroom.
Hill's agent Drew Rosenhaus also said: "Obviously, there'll be some smoke and water damage. It's very difficult for anybody obviously to have your home catch on fire, but Tyreek was handling it, he and his family, with as much poise as you could hope."