Tyreek Hill now has a new competitor. After his planned race with Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles was canceled, Hill issued a challenge to Ishowspeed, a popular social media creator. You might wonder why Hill would move from wanting to race a world-class sprinter to a YouTuber. The reason could be that Ishowspeed has already accomplished something Hill is still striving for—beating a recognized fast athlete.
Two weeks ago, Ishowspeed competed against Ashton Hall, a former Alcorn State 800-meter runner and soccer player, winning their sprint showdown for the fourth consecutive time. Despite stumbling badly at one race’s start, Speed prevailed. After the final race, Ishowspeed mocked Hall saying, “Get f — from here. That was embarrassing.” Although Hall specialized in middle-distance events rather than short sprints, Speed’s repeated wins showed his sprinting capability. In December, Speed also raced Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles in a 50m exhibition, finishing in 5.93 seconds but narrowly losing by 0.08 seconds to Lyles.
Now, Speed might actually have a chance to beat Tyreek Hill, who is famously nicknamed “Cheetah.” Hill, however, disagrees and wants to prove otherwise. “Speed is the fastest streamer,” Hill said, “But you can’t beat me yet—stop dodging me. It’s my turn. We both live in Miami, so let’s get this started.” Speed hasn’t responded yet, but if the race happens, could Hill’s prediction of victory hold true?
Looking at Hill’s stats, he clocked a 4.29-second 40-yard dash at the 2016 NFL Combine and reached a top speed of 23.34 mph during his rookie year. In 2024, he posted the third-fastest top speed among NFL players at 22.01 mph. Recently, Hill won a 100-meter race with a time of 10.15 seconds. Running at 22.01 mph, Hill would cover 50 meters in approximately 5.10 seconds, but maintaining this for 100 meters stretches his time to about 5.80 seconds. This is quicker than Speed’s December race time against Lyles, though Speed may have improved since then. Whether Speed can surpass Hill remains unknown, but if they race, fans might witness a unique showdown between a social media star and one of the fastest NFL players.
Fan Take: This exciting potential matchup bridges sports and social media, highlighting how the NFL’s top athletes are now engaging with new-age entertainers to push boundaries. For fans, it’s not just about speed on the field but also about the spectacle and crossover appeal that can redefine how the sport connects with younger audiences.
