After watching third string quarterback Taysom Hill block a punt Sunday, he’s earned a new number. Hill should get the honor of wearing 007 the rest of the season. Just add a couple of zeroes in front of his current jersey number, because a football player designation simply isn’t enough.
Taysom Hill aka ‘James Bond’ Is 007 on the Field
Football Field of Dreams
Hill’s performance is beyond imagination. He’s a bonafide double agent on the field making plays in every facet of the game.
Finding a precedent for what Taysom Hill is doing doesn’t exist. Sure, Bo Jackson played two sports and became every kid’s idol in the 80’s. But Jackson was a household name before he was 21 years old.
Also, Michael Jordan took basketball and business to levels way beyond expectations. Jordan took a break from the NBA to take a swing at baseball. These examples are not in the same zip code of what New Orleans Saints fans are experiencing in Taysom Hill.
Forget the fact that Hill came back from season ending injuries at BYU four times. Moreover, remember he was an undrafted quarterback who the Green Bay Packers cut after preseason in 2017.
Within 24 hours the Saints signed him. Little was known about the Idaho-bred athlete that came in to bring a bag of myriad acts. The fictional character James Bond was created by Ian Fleming. Bond is a living legend with his 007 bag of tricks. But that was the movies. Taysom Hill brings the 007 style of play to the gridiron.
The Thrill of Hill
Every single one of us saw Taysom Hill block a punt to add to the growing legacy. But it was more than that. The block was just another scene where Hill changed the feel of the game. And it seems as if he’s playing the game of football in the backyard.
Hill can run and throw at the same time. He’s made tackles and throws his head down for extra yardage. When the Saints were struggling to find a return man guess who they turned to—Hill. When Hill is on the field good things happen. And the defense has to account for him.
Surely, Hill has to feel very fortunate to be doing these radical forward thinking acts for the black and gold. In addition, most third string quarterbacks never see the field, much less returning kicks and blocking punts. The fact of the matter is, the New Orleans Saints rely on him.
Sean Payton at some point must’ve drawn up an idea when Hill came in. You have to wonder if lightning just struck one day in the mind of Payton to be able to turn Hill into 007. To be a fly on the wall when the moment happened would’ve been intoxicating. Payton knew that this kid was not just another Mike Buck or Danny Wuerffel carrying the clipboard.
To envision the things that Taysom Hill could possibly do is one thing. Activating him and seeing the payback on investment had to feel like Walt Disney. But make no mistake, this is no fairy tale. And sometimes the actions of Hill resemble a full fledged superhero. Still, this outcome only happened because of Sean Payton’s creativity and imagination. Being Payton’s third string quarterback was never enough.
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