Taysom Hill shouldn’t even have a position next to his name, just the title “football player”. He is listed as the Saints back-up quarterback, but was on the field for 182 offensive snaps during the regular season while taking 343 on special teams.
“His day starts with a team meeting and then he's in special teams,” said head coach Sean Payton. “The quarterbacks have begun their meeting and then when the special teams is over he's up with the quarterbacks. We kid him, you could easily have him meet with the receivers or the tight ends.”
The Saints plucked Hill off the Packers practice squad last year after he went undrafted out of BYU. He was the Black & Gold’s 3rd string QB, but Payton saw something in him and talked to special teams coach Mike Westhoff about using the 6ft2, 220 pound Hill on kick and punt return coverages.
“I think it was week six or seven, there was a week last year where our inactives were plus 1,” recalled Payton. “In other words, we had a few unhealthy players and Taysom was the one guy. I said to Mike you know, why don't we take a look at him in the kicking game? He runs well. He's big. And not really knowing, but right away in that practice, you just you felt his speed and then, all of sudden, play after play in the kicking game started showing up on tape.”
This year Hill’s role started to expand even more, sparking the Who Dat Nation’s love for #7. Payton has used him at QB, RB, WR and TE in the offense along with a role as kick returner and remaining on coverage units. Hill is the Black & Gold’s “Mr. Do It All” or as Alvin Kamara revealed the offenvie line dubbed him “The Mormon Missile”.