LOCALS IN THE NFL

Saints QB Taysom Hill Gives Thanks For Football Journey Prior To Reported First NFL Start

Nov 21, 2020, 11:24 PM | Updated: 11:40 pm

Taysom Hill - Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints...

Taysom Hill #7 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates the victory with Drew Brees #9 while eating turkey legs following an NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Former BYU and current New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill gave thanks for his football journey before reportedly getting his first career NFL start as a signal-caller.

Hill and the Saints are scheduled to play the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, November 22.

Saints starting quarterback Drew Brees will miss the game due to broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

The night before the game, Hill shared a video about his path to the NFL and said how grateful he was for the journey.

“We can’t control what life brings, we can only control how we respond to it,” Hill tweeted. “My journey to the NFL has had the highs, the lows and everything in between— and I’m grateful for all of it! #GiveThanks.”

#GiveThanks

Hill’s use of the hashtag, “GiveThanks,” is in response to a request by President Russell M. Nelson.

On Friday, November 20, the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asked that people share posts on social media about what they are grateful for during the next week. As posts of gratitude are shared, President Nelson suggested using the hashtag, “GiveThanks.”

The video Hill shared was a documentary about his story released in 2018 by SOMETIMES productions and Orem filmmaker Drew Pearson.

Reports surfaced earlier this week that Hill –not Jameis Winston– would be getting the start in replace of the injured Brees in the Saints big NFC South matchup. When asked about those reports, head coach Sean Payton told the media that he wasn’t announcing anything to the public. Everyone expects Hill, the Saints No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart, to be QB No. 1. Making the game Hill’s first career start at quarterback in the NFL.

It’s perfect Hill shared a story the night before his reported first NFL QB start. Because his journey from Highland High School in Pocatello, Idaho, to four season-ending injuries at BYU, to now a member of the New Orleans Saints has been a wild ride.

Drew Brees calls Taysom Hill “one of the greatest men & teammates”

There have been many detractors about Hill’s game, but that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his dream of being a starting quarterback in the NFL. Drew Brees even shared Hill’s documentary late Saturday night, telling everyone they should watch.

Brees also tweeted about Hill, “He’s one of the greatest men & teammates you could ever ask for!”

A glowing endorsement from a future NFL Hall of Famer.

Now Hill gets his chance to blaze his quarterback trail in the league beginning on Sunday at 11 a.m. (MT) against the Atlanta Falcons. The game will broadcast on FOX.

Kyle Ireland is a Locals in the NFL Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Yards After College Podcast. Follow him on Twitter (@kyleireland) and Instagram (@kyleirelandksl).

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Saints QB Taysom Hill Gives Thanks For Football Journey Prior To Reported First NFL Start