2017 NFL Draft interview: BYU’s Taysom Hill wants opportunity
By Matt Conner
Have you had any advice from former teammates or alumni or friends in football on the transition?
A: For sure. I’ve been receiving advice throughout my entire career. I’ve become friends with a lot of former quarterbacks that have played at BYU, and a lot of them have been really good about reaching out to me and being as helpful as they possibly could in various situations. I’ve been receiving advice and input since Day 1 here, specifically toward this process.
I’ve got a brother-in-law who played in the NFL. I’ve got teammates who have been through the process and are now in the NFL. Then, as you mentioned, I’ve got teammates I’ve been training with for pro day and we’ve talked about their mindsets and my mindset. We share advice we’ve received from other guys who have been through the process as well.
I think everything comes down to just enjoying the process. It’s a crazy situation because you don’t know where you will end up and it’s out of your control, so they talk about how you just have to enjoy the process. You’ll only go through it one time, and it’s a lot of fun, so don’t worry too much about the situation. Just manage what you can control and make the most of it.
That sounds great on paper, but in three weekends, this life-changing event will happen. Are you as cool taking it in stride as it sounded just then?
A: Right now it has not been difficult. It comes in chunks, right? I finished the season and then started training for pro day. Then I would say the few days before pro day, it was hard not to think about that day, because you are constantly thinking about that day throughout your college career, because you see friends prepare for it and perform. The time leading up to pro day wasn’t difficult, but the last couple days before pro day and then the morning of was hard because it’s a childhood dream. It was a big event, you know? [Laughs] It was hard to stay out of your head.
But I would say since I have a lot of guys around me who’ve been through this process, I was able to talk with them and they could share their input and advice with me. Then I was able to make the most of the situation. Once we got started, I actually had a lot of fun. I absolutely loved being out there with my teammates and having the opportunity to showcase what I am capable of doing in front of NFL scouts.
We had all of that leading up to pro day and now we have another little chunk of time before the draft. I would say right now it’s easier to sit back and relax and enjoy the few weeks leading up to the draft. But I suspect as we get closer to the draft, it will be hard to not constantly think about it.
As you chat with teams, are there questions in common that you’re getting or some sort of feedback?
A: I think the overall theme of input that I’ve received from pro day has been really positive. I think leading up to pro day, I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to be able to do with my elbow, so my agents were cautious not to give some unrealistic expectations to NFL scouts. Going into it, I don’t know what scouts really expected from me, but the fact I was able to go out and do everything and hit all of the goals I wanted to hit surprised, I think, a lot of the scouts. Most of the conversations I’ve had has gone the way of them saying, “You’ve done yourself a big favor today at pro day.”
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What are your own expectations from this point forward?
A: I just want an opportunity. I want an opportunity to go and work out with a team and showcase what I’m capable of doing. My goals and hopes and expectations are to have that opportunity—what shape or form that will be, I’m not sure. I just want the opportunity and I’m confident in my abilities and how hard I’ve trained and prepared for this, so I just want a shot.