Former Oklahoma State wide receiver Tyreek Hill, 22, pleaded guilty to domestic abuse Dec. 30, 2015. The charges, for which he received a deferred sentence and three years probation, were that he had beaten and choked his pregnant girlfriend during an argument.
Saturday afternoon in Chicago, the Kansas City Chiefs picked him to join the team.
Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said in a press conference Saturday evening that he believes the Chiefs' strong locker room culture and coaching staff will help Hill continue his career on a better path.
"He has had counseling, and he will continue to have counseling, so we're fine," Dorsey said.
The Chiefs' selection of a player who is still on probation for domestic assault has ignited an intense online reaction, especially in light of the NFL's recent efforts to distance itself from players like former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, who became the center of a widely-publicized domestic violence incident with his then-fiancee in 2014.
NFL airs spot for the National Domestic Violence Hotline, with phone pics of a woman in an abusive relationship. Chiefs draft Tyreek Hill. ?
— Randy Withers (@RandyWithersKC) April 30, 2016
Something strange about a decorated military veteran announcing Chiefs picking Tyreek Hill, who pleaded guilty to domestic violence.
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) April 30, 2016
NFL guidelines this year prohibited players with past convictions for domestic violence, sexual assault and violence or use of a weapon from participating in the draft at all; however, because a deferred sentence is legally distinct from a conviction, Hill was allowed to participate.
Hill will remain on probation for the incident until 2018.
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