BYU football: Three Taysom Hill oddities

Former BYU football quarterback Taysom Hill has had a wild 2017. You’re the ultimate Cougar fan, but these oddities might surprise you.

For former BYU football megastar Taysom Hill, 2017 must’ve been insane. It began with a head-turning Pro Day and then ended with a playoff berth with the New Orleans Saints.

Not too shabby for a player that struggled with injuries throughout his career in Provo.

Now a special teams ace for the Saints, the once-dubbed ‘Thorterback’ is turning into a fan favorite in New Orleans for his freakish athleticism.

But did you know…

Taysom Hill finished with more solo tackles than Bronson Kaufusi?

Hill, after beginning the season with the Green Bay Packers as a quarterback, became a special teamer for the Saints. His first active game came on December 3 against the Carolina Panthers.

It didn’t take long for Hill to make an impression.

https://twitter.com/CriddleBenjamin/status/937452563443548160

After playing in five games, Hill tallied four solo tackles. On the flipside, former BYU football defensive end Bronson Kaufusi finished with just two solo tackles on the season.

Granted, Kaufusi played in just three games this season (Pittsburgh, Chicago, Minnesota). Still, not a single member of Cougar Nation would’ve predicted that before the NFL season kicked off.

But did you also know…

The Saints are trying to use Taysom at RB and WR?

Saints head coach Sean Payton knows a stellar athlete when he sees one. He recently told The Advocate’s Joel Erickson that he’s trying to get Hill on the field more – without taking future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees off of it.

“(We’re) just looking at different situations,” Payton told Erickson. “We’ll continue to do that.”

Payton went on to add:

“When you can move a quarterback around, that can become challenging, both defensively and in the kicking game.”

Finally, did you know…

Taysom Hill is becoming a legend in New Orleans

We BYU football fans have known how awesome Taysom Hill is for a long time. He got to watch him stiff-arm UVA defenders into their graves, hurdle Longhorns with ease and throw touchdown passes.

But in New Orleans, the legend is just beginning.

Every fanbase likely has a player or two that it gravitates towards. Perhaps it’s because of a neat backstory, or maybe it’s because a certain player has a knack for making plays.

For Hill, it’s all of the above.

There are hundreds of tweets just like these. It’s clear the former Cougar has earned himself a legion of fans.

We’ll keep tabs on Hill and the Saints throughout the postseason.