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Provo • Taysom Hill plans on playing quarterback for the BYU Cougars next fall, but after suffering a season-ending left leg fracture nearly seven weeks ago, the junior said he plans to play differently than he did the past three seasons.
"Going forward, I would like to do everything that I can to minimize the risk [of getting injured again]," Hill said after practice Wednesday as his teammates continued preparations for Saturday's 1 p.m. game against FCS foe Savannah State at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
For Hill, minimizing the risk means not running with the football as much, getting out of bounds when he can, and sliding more to avoid contact, although he allowed that the clean tackle by USU safety Brian Suite that caused the break and some minor ligament damage "was a fluke thing that could have happened to anybody."
He also wondered aloud if BYU's uptempo offense, coupled with his penchant for carrying the football so much, exposes him to more risks than the typical QB in a more traditional offense. He rushed 86 times for 463 yards and eight touchdowns in four and a half games before the injury. Some were scrambles, but many were carries out of the zone-read attack where he had the option to hand the ball off or keep it.
"So, I think there are conversations that could be had there," Hill said. "… But at the end of the day, it is football. I know every day when I put the helmet on and strap up that there is the likelihood that I could get injured."
With his left leg perched atop a scooter that has been his constant companion the past six weeks or so, Hill spoke to reporters for a dozen minutes to provide an update on his recovery process and dispel some of the rumors that have floated around since the setback.
"Yeah, that's the plan," he said when asked if he will be back in 2015.
Hill said talk that he would either turn pro or redshirt in 2015 was a "media thing," but admitted to having had "conversations about it, and stuff like that." He said he's realized that "there's more to life than football," and talked about the second major injury (he suffered a season-ending knee injury against USU in 2012) changing his perspective on life, his studies and his football future.
"I am going to graduate inside the finance program next December, and for a lot of reasons, it doesn't make sense to leave [early]," Hill said. "It is something that I am still continuing to look into, and I will see what happens, but as of right now, that is where I stand."
Hill said he's been told by doctors that the recovery process will take six months. He will be involved in spring practices next March, but is unlikely to go through any contact drills until August.
"Everything is good. We have schedules because of the surgery, time frames and everything. Everything is on time, everything looks really good," he said.
Three days after the injury, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall described it as worse than originally believed, and included "shredded" ligaments. Not true, Hill said.
"I have never heard my injury being described as shredded ligaments," he said. "I broke the bone and had a little ligament damage. But I wouldn't say that I shredded ligaments or that they had to bring other ligaments in to replace those. It was nothing like that."
Twitter: @drewjay —
Taysom Hill's injuries
Date Opponent Injury Oct. 5, 2012 Utah State Tore LCL in left knee, injured hamstring in left leg
Oct. 3, 2014 Utah State Fractured left leg, minor ligament damage in left leg —
Savannah State at BYU
O Saturday, 1 p.m.
TV • BYUtv