Saints quarterback/tight end/special-teamer/do-everything weapon Taysom Hill huddles with Steve Serby before Sunday’s wild-card battle with the Vikings.

Q: How would you label yourself as a player, and how much fun is your role?

A: I don’t know how I’d describe or label myself as a player. I think my mindset is I’m going to do what the coaches ask me to do. I’m super-willing because I enjoy it and want to be on the field, so I would just say that my mindset is willing to help our team win whatever way I can, so I’m not sure how you would label that. I still see and view myself as a quarterback at heart. As far as how much fun I’m having, I’ve had a ton of fun with what I’ve done, a ton of fun being in the huddle with Drew [Brees]. It’s such a neat experience to learn from one of the greats to ever play the position while playing with him, and I think that’s just such a unique perspective for me and for my development as a quarterback that it really means a lot to me. As far as the other stuff, I don’t really think too much about that in terms of the defense. I’ve talked to people we’ve played, and there’s always some kind of plan in how they’re going to do it. Really, my mindset is on the New Orleans Saints and how I can help them win games.

Q: What are your favorite big plays as a Saint?

A: I think my first thought would be blocking a punt in 2018, getting my hands on a punt in Tampa Bay. I feel like I was able to add a spark in that game when we needed one. I think blocking a punt is such a unique thing because it doesn’t happen very often, and that was kind of a perfect storm. That’s a play that sticks out in my mind. Other than that, it’s hard. Getting your hand on another punt in Atlanta this year was another that sticks out in my mind because it was the first drive of the game, the fourth play of the game, and to be able to get that game started the way we wanted was big. Other than that, it’s hard to determine a touchdown that was more crucial than the other.

Q: How long did it take you to get over last season’s NFC Championship loss to the Rams?

A: I don’t want to speak for everyone, but for me the offseason — the February, March — it was a tough loss to swallow. Once we got back for OTAs and I was hanging out with the guys, I for sure was over it. Being together we were all very motivated to go get back there, and then the rest of it went away. Is that still motivating to me? The way that we lost is not motivating to me. The feeling and the experience of playing in the NFC Championship game is motivating to me because that was one of the highlights of my athletic career, being able to play in a game like that.

Q: Describe your on-field mentality.

A: My mindset is I feel like there’s no secret what my role is on this team right now. I know what my role is. My mentality is to go in and add a spark wherever I can. Whenever I step on the field I want to be a guy that plays with a lot of energy. I want to bring energy to the huddle to the sidelines, to the field. As I step on the field, my number one priority is to make sure I play with passion and energy and do my best to make my play successful.

Q: Do you have an anecdote about Drew Brees?

A: I think one, because people are familiar is the video that Reggie Bush posted a couple weeks ago where he was by himself the day before our last Monday night game going through all the mental reps in his head by himself. That, to me, epitomizes who Drew is. He’s going to turn over every stone in preparing for a football game. The other thing is that this guy’s been doing it for 19 seasons and he still prepares the same way, and it’s mindboggling to me. That’s what makes him real special.

Q: What amazes you the most about him?

A: The preparation. It’s hard to say because I haven’t spent a lot of time with other guys. But I just think Drew is really in a league of his own in terms of how he prepares for a game. The dude doesn’t get flustered by any situation. One of my favorite things about him is you could look at him at any point in the game and you wouldn’t know if you’re up by 50 or down by 50 or if he’s getting ready to go lead our team on a 2-minute drive to win the football game. You don’t put a limit on how longer he’ll play. If you look at Drew’s numbers this year and last year, he’s the most efficient quarterback in the league the last couple years. It’s just incredible the things he can do. I think the question for him is really just how long does he want to play and at what point does it become too much for his family.

Q: What makes receiver Michael Thomas so special?

A: Similar to Drew, those two have similar characteristics in terms of how they approach every game week. Mike approaches every practice rep like it’s a game. We’ll be doing a walk-through and the guy’s flying around getting his routes down, his timing down, his footwork down. I would say he takes practice reps and walk-through reps very seriously.

Q: What is one anecdote that sums up coach Sean Payton?

A: Sean is one of those guys who has balanced being a coach/players’ coach better than anyone I’ve been around, and so one moment he’ll be in the locker room and he’s one of the boys chatting with us and hanging out, and all of a sudden we walk on the practice field and he’s challenging you, he’s getting after you in a way that challenges you to see how you’ll react. Sean is very, very detailed. He and Drew are very similar in that they’re not going to leave a stone unturned.

Q: What is the best football game you ever played?

A: That’s a tough question. As I look back at my college days [BYU], a couple games stick out in my mind. We had played the University of Texas in 2013 and 2014, and those two individual games for me were some of the better games I had played personally and we won both those games in a big way. I don’t remember all the statistics, but I remember 2013 I came close [259 yards] to breaking a rushing record for a quarterback for most rushing yards in a game. 2014, we all played really well as a whole on the road. The other that sticks out was we played Houston in 2013 and won a close game, but I threw for over 400 yards, rushed for over 100 yards, threw a couple touchdowns, although I threw a couple interceptions, too. Those are the games that stick out in my mind. As far as NFL, it’s a tough one. I feel like the Thanksgiving night game at Atlanta sticks out being able to get my hands on a punt [deflection] and have a couple touchdowns.

Q: Which college injury was your low point?

A: Every injury was different, difficult to manage and overcome. The one that sticks out in my mind was 2015 when I tore my lisfranc in my foot. 2012 I had an injury as a freshman, 2013 I made it through, 2014 I was having a great year and got injured. Looking at my injury history, it felt like I was playing really well, had the injury and my mindset was I’d have a great senior year in 2015, and then we go on the road playing Nebraska, I felt like I was playing really well. That was the first game of my senior season when I tore my lisfranc, and that was the most difficult mentally and emotionally to get my head around.

Q: How did not being drafted motivate you and does it still?

A: Honestly, I dealt with a lot of injuries. … I didn’t have an expectation I was going to get drafted because of the injuries. It didn’t really bother me honestly. I think my mindset going into it was, I wanted an opportunity. I was given an opportunity. I didn’t know what it would really look like because of the injury but we were able to work through it. Does it still motivate me now? I don’t really think about it. When I got to Green Bay and first got to New Orleans, both Coach [Mike] McCarthy and Coach Payton have said multiple times and do say: I don’t care how you got here, the reality is that you are here and that’s all we care about and now we’re going to pay attention to how you perform and play. So it doesn’t really bother me.

Q: Why Green Bay initially as a free agent?

A: I felt like they liked me from the get-go. Like I said, I felt like there were other teams that liked me, but having the injury the last game of the season as a senior, that worried a number of teams. Green Bay never wavered, and so I felt comfortable with that. I felt there was a cleaner path for me to go and make that roster where I felt like they had a clear vision of what I was going to go there and do and what I was capable of doing. That’s really why I chose to sign there.

Q. Who were your favorite players/quarterbacks growing up?

A: I feel like really when I was growing up there were a handful of guys that I watched. Peyton Manning, certainly, I grew up watching him. Interestingly enough, I had a brother that was a little undersized, so I felt that he grew up watching Drew, loved Drew and all that he had done. His story had kind of resonated with him, so I grew up a big Drew Brees fan and grew up watching him play because my older brother was a big fan of his. I would say those two quarterbacks really stick out in my mind.

Q: When and how did your NFL dream begin?

A: I think obviously, just like any other kid playing sports, I wanted to have an opportunity to play in the NFL, but I think the first real opportunity or first kind of experience where it was a possibility was when I got to college as a freshman. I felt like I was capable playing at the NFL level, really not knowing everything that it took. I think with the injuries and everything else there was still some uncertainty going into the NFL. I then had a few experiences at Green Bay where I felt I could do this.

Q: Who were your biggest influences?

A: I think growing up I spent the majority of time around my family. They were always so important to me. As I look back at my childhood and really what shaped and molded me as a man and as someone who was willing to work hard and do difficult things, I think that came from the example of my siblings and my parents. I watched both parents create every opportunity for me and my siblings and then I had three other siblings that played college sports. I saw them go to high school and be successful and play at the college level and be successful, and so that kind of set not so much the standard, but kind of showed me the possibilities out there for me.

Q: What are your favorite high school football and basketball memories?

A: I had played in high school football state championship games [Pocatello, Idaho], but my senior year we finally won it. I was on the team, didn’t really dress my freshman year, but was there when we lost the state championship game. Sophomore year we lost in the state championship game. Senior year we made it back to the state championship game and won. I would definitely say that moment, that game and being able to experience it with my high school buddies and coaches was definitely a highlight for me. I would say, basketball-wise, there’s not a specific moment that sticks out in my mind other than my junior year we had a really good team and went to the state championship tournament. We lost in the second round of the playoffs, and I think just that junior year and what we were able to accomplish.

Q: Describe your Mormon mission in Sydney in 2009-11.

A: It was a great experience. It was very difficult, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done was serving there. I felt like for me it added a ton of perspective on life, what’s really important in life and it was an incredible experience for me.

Q: Describe how your older brother Dexter sudden passing, from an addiction to opiates, has become an inspiration for you.

A: Dexter passed away heading into my redshirt senior year in 2016, and it was an easy decision for me to change my number from 4 to 7, and I wanted to do that in a way to always keep him in my thoughts and mind. Dexter was one of the most competitive guys I’ve ever been around. I really felt like I was always chasing him, wanted to be as good as he was. He was a quarterback as well. I still look at that where I get to wear number seven and decide to wear number 7 because of my brother Dexter, and I want to bring honor to that number. I made that change for him. It was highly motivating.

Q: What drives you?

A: I just want to be successful. I think as an athlete you’re kind of ingrained to struggle and go through some difficult things and I would say for me I want to be successful. I want to make sure my preparation makes me successful that I can make my wife and family proud of me. That’s what motivates me.