New Orleans Saints Quarterback Taysom Hill
Video Call with Local Media
Friday, September 11, 2020
The last time fans saw you, they saw so much of you in that Minnesota playoff game, do you think that will potentially be what we could see this weekend and in future games or do you think it will just be determined on a game to game basis?
"I think every week will be a little bit different. And I thinkwe're trying to find that balance of how much I'm going to be used, how much I'm not going to be used. So I think the coaches have done a nice nice job of finding different ways that we can create challenges for the defense and I think it really becomes a week to week thing."
Can you talk about Marquez Callaway both from a special teams perspective and from the point of view of being a quarterback as well?
"Yeah. I mean, I think he obviously had a really good camp, came in and made the (53-man) roster. I think he was a kid that has the raw talent. He's fast. He's got good hands, everything that you'd want to see from a receiver. But I felt like he had this really competitive nature about himself, which, at the end of the day, when you're playing special teams, it's all about competing and winning your matchups, and that's what he was doing."
With your unique role in this team, I'm curious how's your mentality or the way you prepare mentally before going into a game changed since you've been here?
"I think my role has evolved so much since the time I first got here until the point that I'm I'm at now. So training camp I was in this whole mindset that man I have the opportunity to really work on myself as a quarterback and being as good as I possibly can. And I still have that mindset week to week, but I'm going to be asked to do different things, different weeks. So I do have this mental shift because the reality is so much of the quarterback position is played mentally. Well now I'm stepping into a role where there's a pretty physical aspect to what I'm going to be asked to do. So that preparation has certainly been different."
What is it like becoming a father and juggling roles both at home with your son and your wife and now at the facility?
"I have got to be honest, I am still getting plenty of sleep, which means my wife is not. But honestly, it's been some of the best few weeks of my life. My wife and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to welcome this little guy into our family. And we feel, like I said, very, very blessed. It's been a very special time for my wife and I to do this and we've had help, her mother was here and my mother's here now and so I'm still making sure that I'm staying up to speed on everything I have to do Saintswise, but it's certainly added a different element of having the opportunity to go home following a day and to see this little guy
Earlier this week Drew Brees told us that I think he said quote, I' have got nothing to lose. I'm on borrowed time. I'm just going to let it fly. You spend probably as much if not more time with him than anybody. Is he the same? Or is there something different that maybe you've picked up on that (he's) got nothing to lose and he's going to let it fly maybe in a different way this year?
"It's a good question. Drew is the same guy every day that that I've seen in the four years that I've been here. I think drew has this this thing about him where you could look at him at any point in the game and you wouldn't know if he's up by 10 or if he's down by 10 if they're getting ready to have a two-minute drive during the football game, he is the same guy. So maybe I think his mindset is a little bit different knowing that he's got nothing to lose. We're obviously (going to) have a mindset and goal to go on win every single game that we play and, and there's no secret that we feel like we have the talent to return to the playoffs and make a playoff run and go deep. But t0 answer your question, Drew's mindset has been so good for so long that that he's still the same guy. He still prepares the exact same way and he's still Drew, there's really been no one else that's done it like him.
Speaking of that mindset, Jared Cook was just saying that he's very patient in the pursuit of perfectionism, just when he's bringing guys in and when there's mistakes, like he doesn't, you know, berate them or make them feel bad about it. And that's different from some other quarterbacks. You see that to just kind of observing him when when new guys come in.
"I think drew has this really special skillset and uniqueness about him that nobody works harder than Drew. So when you come in in the morning, the first person you see is Drew and he's watching film. And as we talked about, he's been such a great mentor to me that I've had the opportunity to adopt his schedule and learn from him. I think Drew doesn't have to say anything because the reality is Drew always knows his stuff because he works so hard he's first one in and he's the last one to leave in the morning. So I think the great thing about that is Drew never has to say anything. There's an expectation that when you're playing for the New Orleans Saints or if you step on the field and Drew's your quarterback and he's expecting to be there, you better be there. And because he puts in all the time, the energy to make sure he is doing everything he can for us to be successful, the expectation's there, so I don't think he needs to say anything in (that) people kind of put that that pressure on themselves, which it's this unique thing that that allows Drew to make everyone around him better if that makes sense. So it's kind of like I'm not mad, I'm disappointed type deal and when you do something well I don't know. Drew's such a nice guy, that he is never going to get mad at anyone, but I think everybody works hard. And I think here that if you're doing something and you make a mistake, and you're going full speed and you're doing everything you can, no one's upset about that. But what Drew will do is he will slow things down, and he'll teach it and coach it to the point where it's exactly where he needs it to be. But to your point, everyone puts that pressure on themselves to be essentially perfect. And coach says that all the tim, we're not we're not playing a perfect game. But he has this (perfectionist attitude of holding himself to a higher standard) really, the subtlety about it that is pretty unique.
It's a little bit not football related. So bear with me, obviously you were such a kind of phenomenon and people are almost infatuated with what you did and how you did it. But in New Orleans, a lot of celebrities come here and say they kind of feel a sense of normalcy. Do people treat you and your wife normal again?
"I feel like it is no secret. My wife and I and our families felt a lot from this community. But people have always been very respectful of my wife and I, but they certainly will say hi, and I love it when people come and say hi and (are) very complimentary. So I would say that that that has not gone away. Which that is one of the great things about the city and playing for the New Orleans Saints is you have the opportunity to be part of such a fan base that is loyal, that loves you, that supports you and that hasn't changed.
