Steelers' Vince Williams Nearly Made Tyreek Hill Quit After Massive Hit In Rookie Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for their hard hits, both in the modern day and throughout history. However, Tyreek Hill brought up one play where he got lit up, and seemingly everyone but him has forgotten it. It even made Hill re-think his role on the team, specifically in the return game, as the hit made him question if he wanted to do returns anymore. Special teamers don't get much credit, but in Hill's recent interview, it didn't take him long at all to give credit to the special teams ace that took him out. 

According to Hill, Vince Williams made him question his will to return, and he was quick to admit it. In an interview with Bleacher Report that got posted to TikTok, Hill was specifically asked what the hardest hit he ever took was and immediately remembers his rookie year.

The hardest hit I ever took in the league was probably my rookie year. Vince Williams from the Pittsburgh Steelers... he made me not want to do kickoff return no more.

A redditor commented on a post about the interview and found the exact play that this occurred on. In the same divisional round game that Chris Boswell scored all the points to beat the Chiefs, Hill returned a kickoff only 12 yards before Williams came in unblocked and bodied him. Even while being unblocked, the fact that Williams was the first one downfield is impressive. He showed great hustle on the play, and it showed why he eventually got promoted from special teamer to starting linebacker a couple years later. 

After the hit, the Chiefs could not get very far down the field, as the drive only lasted 16 yards and resulted in a punt. The Steelers were able to drive down the field for one of their six field goals. Although, even if the return went the normal distance, Boswell would still likely have hit the field goal from longer distance, as he was clearly in a groove all night long.

Either way, the hit obviously rattled Hill, and it might have even affected him the rest of the game. On the first drive for the Chiefs, Hill had two offensive touches for 14 yards. The rest of the game, he had five total offensive touches for 31 yards. He also returned three more kickoffs, which were more of average returns, as he averaged 20 yards per return on the last three. Hill would continue to do punt returns throughout his career, but that game was the last time he ever returned kickoffs, besides a single return in two playoff games.

It's rare that you see a speedster like Hill not want the opportunity to do returns and show his skills in the open space. It's also rare to see what's considered a big, run-stuffing linebacker hustle that far down the field and lay out someone like Hill before he even has a chance to make a move in the open space. Either way, Williams did it, and he eventually took that level of hustle and physicality to the defensive side of the ball.