Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — As BYU spring practices progress into week two, surprising and exciting storylines continue to develop. Senior quarterback Taysom Hill talked to the media for the first time this spring, and he wasted little time before providing a curveball of a statement.
The majority of questions posed to Hill were about the health of his leg, which he broke in the game against Utah State last October. When asked if he was able to participate in all facets of spring practice, Hill replied, “I feel like if we had to play a game on Saturday, I feel like I could do it. I don’t think I would be nearly as explosive as I will be in about a month or two, but I think I could play at a high enough level to be successful.”
Hill, who is ahead of schedule with his expected return from the injury, discussed how he has continually pushed the limits of his rehab because of how much he desires to be on the field with his teammates.
“When my doctor gave me a little bit of a green light, I probably did a little bit too much, too early,” Hill said. “We had to kind of revisit it and say, ‘Let’s back you down a little bit’ . . . That’s my mentality. I hate being out there watching the team go through stuff and not being able to do it.”
Hill’s broken leg was just one of an abundance of injuries to key BYU players last season. Despite suffering season-ending injuries the past two seasons, and a level of caution surrounding the program, Hill said his mentality and style of play would not change.
“At the end of the day, I know me and I am going to do whatever it takes to win,” Hill said. “I realize there is a balance . . . I’m more of a help to the team healthy than I am hurt. But it’s not an easy thing, come game time, I’m going to do what it takes to win the football game.”
Head coach Bronco Mendenhall jokingly responded to Hill’s stance of maintaining the same fearless style of play.
“Did he ever mention going out of bounds?” Mendenhall said. “Just when I think we’re making progress, crap. Maybe he is just telling me that and then turns around and tells you guys something else. He’s going to do what he does and slide and run out of bounds. That’s the hope.”
However, when questioned if Hill would become more of a passing quarterback, Mendenhall was firm in his reply about how Hill will lead the team next season.
“He’s not a pocket quarterback,” Mendenhall said. “It’s going to look very similar other than we’ll have less truly designed quarterback runs.”
Mendenhall also discussed how the presence of Hill on the field, along with other seniors, has helped BYU sustain a higher level of accountability and leadership.
“Probably the biggest positive or takeaway so far is the senior class,” Mendenhall said. “We have holdover capital. We have Taysom and (lineman) Remington (Peck), so there’s already an existing learning curve that we didn’t have to go through because they both were captains a year ago. I think we have made significant strides in player leadership already.”
Senior wide receiver Mitch Mathews, another returning leader from last year’s team, believes that the established leadership has led to the most competitive spring practices he has seen.
“This is probably the best, most competitive spring practice we’ve had, at least I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Mathews said. “I just think that we have the right leaders right now. Our best players are our best leaders.”
Spring practices continue through April 3. There will be a scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium on March 27 at 6 p.m. MST. Admission is free and open to the public.
Notes:
-- BYU has officially hired Patrick Hickman as director of football operations. Hickman had been acting as the interim director since BYU’s bowl game against Memphis.
-- Mendenhall also announced the addition of two new players to the program: Scott Huntsman and Koy Detmer Jr. Huntsman is an outside linebacker from Texas and Detmer is a quarterback from Texas. Detmer is the nephew of BYU’s Heisman-winning quarterback Ty Detmer. The players will be preferred walk-ons and arrive at the school this fall. Trevor Woller is a public realtions student at Brigham Young University and sports enthusiast.
