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Sean Payton's new toy: A 'Thor-terback' named Taysom Hill



Mike Triplett
ESPN Staff Writer
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METAIRIE, La. -- Drew Brees laughed when he was asked how much fun Sean Payton is having with Taysom Hill this season.

"He loves it. Oh, he loves it," Brees said. "A new toy. That's Sean's new toy."

Can you blame him?

Payton is one of the NFL's all-time great innovators. And he is suddenly getting the chance to add new pages to his playbook because of the New Orleans Saints' do-everything quarterback who has been compared to everyone from Tim Tebow to Kordell Stewart to Michael Vick to Jim Thorpe.

We've seen Hill line up as a read-option quarterback, running back, receiver, tight end, kickoff returner and special-teams coverage specialist. He has converted two fake punts (one passing and one running). And he has run the ball 18 times for 125 yards and a touchdown for a 5-1 team that is gaining steam.

During one practice session, Payton practically looked like he was drawing up a new play in the dirt (or the artificial turf, anyway), moving players around like chess pieces.

"It's kind of a learning process, you know. And I think having this weapon now is really intriguing, because Taysom is so versatile, he can do so many things," said Brees, who is now lining up as a wide receiver a few times a game -- though the ball hasn't been thrown his way yet. So for now, the Saints' starting quarterback has one career TD reception, from LaDainian Tomlinson with the San Diego Chargers in 2003.

But the season is young.

"We're still just kind of scratching the surface," Brees said. "We're still just kind of learning what we can do with all that stuff."

When Payton was asked recently if he has always had all those wrinkles in his mind or if he has been designing them to specifically utilize Hill, Payton joked, "I hadn't given it much thought with Drew, to be honest with you, in 12 years."

Payton isn't alone.

Hill is a rare athlete at 6-foot-2, 221 pounds who reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds at BYU's pro day in 2017. Teammates and coaches marvel at his weight room prowess. Apparently coaches in college told him he wasn't allowed to squat more than 700 pounds. Saints punter Thomas Morstead said when Hill squats 500 pounds, he looks like he's just casually standing up out of a chair.

So when coaches see him, they all think, "What can I do with this guy?"

That's how longtime special-teams coordinator Mike Westhoff felt when he joined the Saints' staff last season and asked to borrow Hill for his own purposes. (Hill finished the year with four special-teams tackles and has three more this season.)

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AsylumGuido

Definitely read the whole article. It is great and Thor-terback is the perfect nickname.

dizzle88

Just wait until Payton let's him throw on a trick play, it will happen at some point this season.

K Major

Yep it's coming.

All Taysom does is make plays when he has the opportunity to do so.

Saintsfan4ever

Thor-terback! I said in an early post instead of nickname he should have his own Marvel character name, and BAM! there it is.
I doubt he'll have a long career in the NFL because he's just so damn tenacious with the ball in his hands. But hey, he's not 23, he's 28 and he's giving it all he's got right now & it's a beautiful thing.

dam1953

Taysom Hill is the rage of the sports media this week. Everyone wants to write about the comeback, Mormon phenom who is the epitome of what sports is supposed to be about. Love of the game and the team.

Based upon the Saints' success, I expect other teams will try and duplicate the concept but it may be difficult to find a package as compelling as Hill. Speed, power, arm, brain, heart .... and lack of ego. His desire to be on the field making an impact, regardless of the position.

The thing I like best about the Taysom Hill situation is that it seems to have given Peyton his mojo back. Yes, after the suspension the D sucked for sure, but other than Brees, the offense also seemed to have lost its luster. Maybe key players were too old, too injured, too slow, too dumb. Can't say for sure. But the offense was too predicable.

This shiny new toy seems to have Peyton excited and has sparked the offensive creativity. What ever it is....I like it.

I like it a lot.

”It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Charles Darwin

vpheughan

SUPER DOME SPECIAL IS BACK BABY!!!

K Major

"Taysom Hill, the playbook keeps growing." - Brian Baldinger.

Brian is worth following on Twitter. He does great work breaking down game film.

44Champs

This is probably how Tebow should have been used. Wonder how he would've done on special teams.

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Beastmode

Amazing but he earned every bit of this by volunteering for ST last year IMO. That was my understanding, it was something he wanted to do. Most teams he would either be cut or collecting dust but it's a copy cat league. Going to start seeing a lot more of it.