San Francisco 49ers running back Matt Breida has been nicknamed Cheetah since his college days. He’s got serious speed (4.39 40 at his college Pro Day), and Cheetah rhymes with the pronunciation of his last name. It’s pretty simple.
Enter Tyreek Hill. The Kansas City Chiefs burner wide receiver is nicknamed Cheetah, and in fact, his Twitter handle is simply @cheetah. He ran a 4.29 40 at his college Pro Day, and regularly shows up on the NFL highlight reels with his big plays — with the peace sign thrown in when he’s really burned a defensive back.