Attention youth leaders. If you have recently been called to lead the rising generation, I have a next step for you. Listen to an awesome presentation by Yvonne Hubert and Peter Vidmar who are both respective members of the Young Women and Young Men General Advisory Council for the church. Their presentation really helps clarify ways on how to effectively lead the
youth using the children and youth program. They also cover topics like youth led groups, how to lead through personal ministry, how to meet youth where they are, identifying the youth strengths and capacities. This presentation is part of the Young Saints virtual library, and you can access it at no cost by going to leading saints.org slash 14. Again, simply click the link in the show notes or go to leading saints.org/14.
Hey. Welcome to the Leading Saints podcast. Now for many of you that are brand new, to Leading Saints, it's important that you know that Leading Saints is a nonprofit organization, 501c3, dedicated to helping Latter day Saints be better prepared to lead, and we do that through content creation. You get so much positive feedback on the podcast, our virtual conferences, the articles on our website. You definitely gotta check it out at leading saints.org.
And on their homepage at leading saints.org, you can actually find the top 6 most downloaded episodes to the podcast. So if you're new, like the content, wanna jump in to some of our most popular episodes, head there after you listen to this episode. In this episode, I have the remarkable opportunity to sit down with Taysom Hill. Yes. That Taysom Hill, the famous BYU quarterback jumping over Texas players now is in the NFL playing for the New Orleans Saints.
And, you know, this experience of him through a career in professional sports, I thought would have a lot of parallels with church leadership because, sporting is such a remarkable laboratory of leadership, mentorship. And so I sit down with Taysom talking about his faith development, the impact of his mission that it had on his life and how it impacts him even today in the NFL.
And then different coaches he's he's had. What leadership concepts has he learned in different locker rooms with different coaches? And there are some phenomenal parallels that any church leader can benefit from. And he's been working with the youth in his, in his ward and how to connect with you if we talk about that. And, just some great insights. It's fun to sit down with somebody who's had such a unique career and journey and has, strong faith in the
lord Jesus Christ. So here's my interview with Taysom Hill. Today, I'm excited to welcome in Taysom Hill. How are you? I'm great. Thanks for having me. Yeah. This is cool. You know, we we typically interview, like, old, boring, like, established leaders, you know, who have gray hair, who've been bishop four times or whatever. But it's cool to bring someone in maybe who's experienced leadership and cultural dynamics in a different arena like football. So this
is cool. Yeah. Thanks for having me. This is cool. Now you're from Pocatello, Idaho. Yep. And was there a moment where you thought, okay, this football thing, like, I've got a knack for it. Like, was it in high school? Did you always play? Or what was that like? Yeah. I mean, I always played. I would say there was always, like, you know, maybe, like, a little stigma growing up in Pocatello, Idaho. It's, you know, a small town that there was this thing about, like, oh, how good
is the competition? Right? And you would go to camps and stuff. And I always felt like there was something there. And so I felt like that was always in the back of my mind. Right? I knew I was a good player and, you know, and whatever. But it was it was really hard to know if I was gonna have opportunities, you know, at the next level. I will say I had 3 older siblings that all played college sports.
And having seen them go to high school, be successful, and then go to college and be successful, that was that kinda flipped the switch for me. Yeah. I I knew it was possible, and I knew I could do it because I'd seen those guys do it. Yeah. So I don't know. I think that there are moments even when I got to BYU, you're kinda like, oh my gosh. Now, like, the pool that you're now competing against is, you know, this nationwide pool where you're playing against the best talent in the country.
How am I going to stack up? Yeah. And then you go to the next level, and you have those same thoughts and those same feelings. And, you know, people always talk about, you need to have a moment, you know, where you know that you belong. And at every stage, I remember having that. Yeah. Like, you can hang here. Like, you're you're gonna do alright. Yeah. Nice. Nice. Tell me a bit just about your faith development as a child in your home, or what what was that, like, pretty traditional
upbringing? Or Yeah. Yeah. I would say very traditional upbringing. You know, my parents were both raised in the church and married in the temple. Like, that was, I mean, that was really everything. As I as I look at my life and as I have conversations, people ask me, you know, what role is religion? Like, they know I've served the mission. They know I've done stuff like that. And then it's kinda like, well, it is everything. Right?
It's intertwined into everything that I do. And I would say that that was a house that I grew up in. Mhmm. You know? So I grew up. We weren't always the most consistent in terms of FHE and family scripture study. Oh, so you're normal. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So very normal, very traditional. But, man, I as I look at the foundation that my parents set for me, And now as a parent and husband, you know, they gave me, like, a great playbook, right, to to raise my own kids. Yeah.
So was a mission always just a no brainer for you? Yeah. It was a no brainer. You know, I had this, I say naive, I had this, like, naive mindset when I was a kid that I was gonna go serve a mission to get back. I will say I recognize that, athletically, that I had been given a lot. In my mind, I was gonna go serve a mission to give back. And I always attributed I always attributed my success on the football field and in other areas to God. Like, I just I felt like
those were blessings from God. And as a 12 year old and then 15, 16, 17, I felt like I was gonna go give back by sermon of mission. And I would hear people talk about this idea of a tithe. Right? You're gonna go give 2 years Oh, yeah. To God. And I that kinda resonated with me a little bit, and I was, like, all for it. So, yes, as I was being recruited, the first thing was I'm gonna serve a mission. So tell me how that affects this conversation.
And then, obviously, you know, you go serve and you realize that that I again become the greatest benefactor of of what I was doing. You know? And so I say this naive mindset because at the end of the day, the the life that was changed the most in my opinion was my own. Nice. And you went to Australia. Right? Yep. Was that did you wanna go for it? And I mean, what do you remember
those leading up to serving a mission? I mean, if you would've asked me, like, where if I could handpick a mission, I would've I would've said Sydney, Australia. Oh, really? Nice. Yeah. I wanted to go foreign, but I wanted to speak English. I wanted to be able to, like, allocate 2 years to studying the gospel, learning the scriptures, and I didn't, you know, wanna have to allocate so much time and energy to learning the language. So that was that was a home run
for me. My oldest brother actually served in the same mission. Oh, wow. So I tell people I I had Christmas dinner in the same house he did just 10 years later. Oh, really? Yeah. That is awesome. So, you know, we just we had some incredible experiences, you know, that way where he was a first missionary that that taught a a man he was a young man at the time that ended up getting baptized. When I was there, he was now serving as bishop. Oh, wow. So so we had
we had some great experiences. But, yeah, I would handpick that mission for me. That's cool. Yeah. Yeah. So just like reflecting on your mission, like, from a personal development, a leadership development, I mean, I'm sure there's components you learned in the mission context that you've taken into football. Like, what what comes to mind or if there's stories or things that really stand out about that experience? Golly. I mean,
the mission was everything. You know? It's hard to verbalize what the mission did for me in terms of putting my life on the trajectory that it is. You know, it's it gave me a a routine based life, I would say. You know, you become so routine oriented as a missionary. You wake up at 6:30, you work out from, you know, 7, and then you're studying at 8, and, you know, then you're
out the door. And you do that for 2 years, and you realize the power of having a routine, you know, and sticking to that routine and what you can accomplish as a result of that. And I look at what I do now. And I mean, if you were talking to my wife and you asked her, what would Tayson be doing on a Wednesday at this time, she would tell you exactly what I'd be doing. You know, because when I get to the season, I have such a specific routine that gets me ready for
a game on Sunday. Yeah. And so as I look at the mission, I I think that that's probably the one of the biggest things that has stayed with me that has created a pattern of success in my life in all facets. You know? So even in the off season, I have a pretty, you know, strict and structured routine that that I follow. So I think that's the biggest thing. I I think the mission fields, you know, you
developed a love for the scriptures. I developed a love of, you know, knowledge and understanding things and understanding the role of the holy ghost and how that affects you in your life and decision making and both temporal and spiritual, like you know, so it it's a hard thing to put into words of what my mission meant to me, you know, because there's not a day that goes by that the principles that I learned as a missionary don't affect what I'm doing. Yeah. That's powerful.
Anything else worth mentioning during those mission years? I mean, of course, we could do a whole podcast on it, but Yeah. As far as your personal development or does that kinda sum it up? I don't know. I think look. As a 17 year old year old boy, I would say I I had a a testimony of the gospel. But then as I look at, you know, where I am now or, you know, what I gained as a missionary, I realized, man, I was I was I don't wanna say so far behind.
Right? But I grew so much over those 2 years that I felt like I really, really got to know the savior. Mhmm. You know? And that has been the most meaningful thing to me from the mission that I'll just, you know, never I'll never lose that. You know? And that created this foundation for for me as I went to school, set an expectation and a foundation of, you know, me dating, finding a wife, and now, like, raising kids. You know? It all stems back it
all stems back from there. Highly recommended, it sounds like. Yeah. Yeah. No. And I get asked that question a lot. Right? There's a lot of young athletes that are being recruited. And, you know, man, what what do you think? Is a mission worth it? Like, I don't know if I'll be the same player when I get back. Like, do you think I could go I could go play sport and, you know, I could be a great ambassador through sports, you know?
And I don't think, you know, I think everyone has different paths, and so there's not just some cookie cutter path for everybody. I know for me that I'm a much better athlete having served a mission. I'm for sure a much better person. I'm a much better husband. I'm a much better father having served a mission. So when you look at all of that, I always tell kids, like, you will never regret serving this in in any capacity. Yeah.
Even what you mentioned about just the concept of routines, like, learning these nuanced habits or, you know, principles that are helping you in that world that, you know, sure. Maybe you would have developed that. But again, it's just another place to to really develop as an individual so you can can face these other challenges in your career. Right? For
sure. Yeah. And because there is that pressure and and I would imagine even since you were in Little League or high school, like from a church leader standpoint, you sometimes hear like, oh, youth in a ward, like, oh, they can't come to the youth activity because they've got like this tournament. They're going out of town. Like, it seems like sports is a such this heavy thing on a family. And and maybe someone in the family is starting to get accolades. They're really starting to
develop. And it's like, hey, this you know, we gotta make sure we invest in this because this could be a really big blessing for our family. And so it it becomes consuming. Right? Have you seen that? I mean, how would you what would you tell to, like, families who are trying to navigate this the sports world now? It's a great question. And again, I think every family is different. Every kid is different. You know? And and I my wife and I have this conversation
a lot. Right? Where I just think no and you would know this better than I do. You know, I got 2 kids. I got a 1 year old. I got a 4 year old. So I haven't really seen all this. I've seen bits, but every kid is different, you know? So I think every kid has different needs. And so, you know, what I'm going to say may not apply to everybody, you know? But I look at youth programs and in the church, and, you know, maybe this would be a good question for you.
Right? You've had more leadership experience than I have in the church. I've served most my callings and been with the youth in the church. But I guess the question that I would have is, what what are we trying to accomplish in these youth programs? You know? So and that's like, what do like, what are we trying to accomplish as a bishop? What are you trying to to
get these young kids to learn? Yeah. And this is a great I think that's a phenomenal, like, starting point question because oftentimes, we don't think about that. So, like, no. We just do the Wednesday thing and, you know, we got the f s y coming up and we do that and the trick or whatever. Yeah. But to really sit back as a leader and say, what are we what are we trying to do? And and how can it be as valuable to a family than the sports camp? Or because that
does a lot of personal development too. Right? Sure. Teaches hard work. It, you know, does all these things. So I think whether there's a perfect answer for that, I think that's a phenomenal question for all leaders to step back and say, alright. What are we really doing here? What do we wanna accomplish? Well, yeah. So this is I guess this is
my thought press on it. Thought process is, you know, if I got a kid that's going to a youth program in the church, I'm hoping that they're learning leadership skills. I'm hoping they're learning social skills. I'm hoping they're, like, learning to interact with their
peers, right, in a healthy way. I'm hoping that they're going to youth programs to learn from an adult who's had different experiences, right, that they can help them learn all these different attributes, right, and ultimately become closer to the savior. And I think it's important that there's a combination, right, of, you know, hey. We're gonna go play basketball this Wednesday. We're gonna go swim or whatever that is. But
then the next Sunday is, hey. We're gonna sit down and have a there should be fireside Yeah. Or, you know, whatever that is. And and I think that, you know, through sports, right, like, sports sports have really been my life. Right? I have learned a lot of those attributes through playing sports. You know? So I think there needs to be healthy balance. You know? If I have a kid that is, like, doing well in school and he's really active as an athlete, you know, I can see some of these skills
that he's learning. You know, leadership skills, you talk about, like peer going and playing football or going to play basketball. Like, the skills that you learn from doing something hard and being a leader amongst your peers, like, that's a hard thing to accomplish, and that's a hard thing for a parent to teach a kid. So I don't have a perfect answer. You know? I'm not saying that you choose 1 or the other, but I do think that a lot of those things can work together.
So I'm an advocate of sports, the lessons that you learn Right. Through that. And I'm not saying that sports should trump, you know, Wednesday night FHE or not FHE, but No. Youth activity. Yeah. But I think it's okay to have an element of a healthy balance. You know? Yeah. Yeah. I think it's worth just exploring. And then, like you said, no perfect answers. Just but it's a it seems like it's becoming heavier and heavier on families, just the competition
of it also. You mentioned routines. Take us back. Like, give us a crash course on routines. And I want all the nuances and whether you write them down or whatever like because in leadership or any role where you have a focus or a vision like it comes at you, you know that if you don't determine what you're going to do, like your life and world will dictate what you're
gonna just take you. Thank you. Right? So how would if someone wants to build stronger routines, I mean, whether components that come to mind. Yeah. Well, I I think, I mean, I really I need to give credit to Drew, you know, in this. I I do I will say that I became a really routine oriented person as a missionary. I realized the power of a a routine, you know, as a
missionary. And then when I got to college, the reality was I wasn't gonna be able to do well in school and play football and find somebody to date if I didn't have a routine that allowed me to use my time efficiently and effectively. So, ultimately, that's what I was trying to accomplish. But I really learned the power again as a young player in the NFL. And I've never been around somebody that was more routine oriented than Drew.
And I just, like, hit the jackpot having the opportunity to be mentored by him. And I was just, you know, this annoying rookie that, kind of Drew Brees. Right. Right. That I like The legend quarterback I just followed him around. Right? And I made that comment about my wife would know if you told her, hey, what's Tayson doing on a Tuesday afternoon or Tuesday at 9 o'clock? She'd be able to tell you exactly what I was doing.
Mhmm. You know? I say that, but if Drew is still playing today, I could tell you exactly what he would be doing. I could tell you exactly what film he would be watching, what he his exercises he would be doing, you know, to a t. I could tell you exactly what he'd be doing. And I guess I I really learned a powerful lesson having observed him, and I guess for me, it shocked me. When I was a rookie, I got to New Orleans. And in my mind, I was, like, okay. Drew's been playing for
16 seasons now at this point. Like, he's won a Super Bowl. He's, like, be he was, you know, set NFL records in 2011 for total offense. Like, his accolades go on and on and on. Right? So I got there, and I was kinda like, well, there's not a defense that Drew hasn't seen. Right? There's like, he's played these teams 100 of times. Like, he could probably just show up on Sunday and just play.
And, obviously, I knew that he would study and prep and stuff, but it blew me away how hard he worked off the field, how hard he worked on the field. Right? As a 16 year vet was still outworking everyone and outworking anyone I had ever been around. So he was the first one in. He was the last one out. He had his routine that got him ready for Sunday so dialed that when he got to Sunday, he there was nothing that could fool him. He always knew. He was always prepared, and it was amazing to watch.
So fast forward, I basically just did everything he did. I would show up early. I'd watch film with him. I'd go to meetings with him. I go to early to practice, warm up with him. I would do his exercises. I was like, you know, this little puppy followed him around, and he was gracious enough to, you know, allow me to do that and just give me all this wisdom Yeah. That that he had learned. And it's not like he sat you down, like, here's my routine. Never. But you're just like, okay. This guy is,
like, very intentional about everything he does. Right? Yeah. Everything. Yeah. And we just became we became really, really close as a result of that. And then so I guess a powerful lesson was so fast forward now I'm trying to remember the year. I think it was 2020 when I first got my NFL start as a quarterback. Mhmm. And this is like childhood dream happening. Yeah. Like, everything that you had dreamed about from a little kid, like, to now, Like, I'm getting ready to start
in the NFL at the quarterback position. We're playing a divisional opponent. We were a really good team that year. It was an important game for us. And I had this template. I had this routine of everything to do. So I did every single one of those things that entire week. And for sure, I had some
I had some stress. I had some, you know, anxiety as I was going into that game as my first NFL start, but I was blown away how little butterflies and stuff that I had going into that game because I realized when I got there on Sunday, I was so prepared for that game. I had never been more prepared for a football game in my life at the quarterback position because I did everything that he did. Right? And I had this routine. And then the game
went really well, and we won. I played well, and it's like this super memorable experience and this powerful lesson to me that, man, you put the time in and the power of a routine, and then you can go play a game without having to deal with the stress. Right? Because you are prepared for the game. And I think the same thing applies. I think, you know, I'm I'm 33. Like, I'm I'm a young person, right, in terms of the church and stuff. But I think sometimes we can kinda forget the power of a
routine. Right? Or I've spoken in church this many times. Like, you know, I would just stand up and and do this. And I think Drew taught me a really powerful life lesson early in my career. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm curious because, obviously, especially during the season, I mean those routines are crucial. I know really the routines kind of get you out of your head. Right? That you don't you don't have time to be nervous for the start because I'm doing
this thing next. That's what I do and and, you know, plug that in and out will come a good result ideally. Is there anything like involving your family in that? Like, getting everybody on board saying, like, this is my job. This is these are the routines. Is there you know, I hate I hate the question about, you know, balance in life because, you know, elder Bednar has talked about that a lot. There's not that's not really a thing.
It's just but in a high demand calling or role or career, like, is it just about building those important things into that routine? Or what comes to mind with that Yeah. Family dynamic? I mean, I would say our family is a very routine you know, like, my wife, my kids have a very, you know, structured bedtime. They have their routine that gets them ready for bed, and we feel like that allows them to sleep well, get the most sleep as possible. And then
the next morning, like, they're really happy. Right? And they kinda have routines that they know we do at different times of the day, and I think that's important for both Emily and I and for our kids. I think as far as, like, the season goes and and balance, I, you know, I it's just not realistic for me to have a balanced life, August to January. You know? And I've realized that there are just times and seasons where your your life is out of
balance. You know? And for what I do during the season, my life is out of balance. I work way more than I do the rest of the year. Right? And I don't see my family as much as I would like to. I'm in a hotel every weekend. If it's the away game, I travel every weekend. You know? But as part of our routine, like, we have time that's allocated to just our family. You know, Monday afternoon, Monday evenings, like,
don't call me. My phone is away. Like, I'm I'm with my kids, you know, and my wife and I will have a date night. Tuesday, we have similar things where I get allocated time with my kids in the afternoon. You know? And then I try to I try to come home a little bit early on Wednesdays Thursdays so I can be with the kids, have dinner. We put them down, and then I finish what I would study, you know, for those evenings. And so we have built in routines where we try to have moments
together as a family. And then on the other side of that, I realized that, you know, during right now, like, my life is out of balance the other way. Right? I'm home a lot more. You know? I'm with my kids a lot. You know? And we get this, like, really special time to be together as a family. So, yeah, routines is really in in everything that
we do. Yeah. I I think that I I really appreciate that that I think it's so many times we have this false sense of, like, oh, there needs to be this balance and I need to, you know, tell the coach or tell whoever I gotta leave practice early because the family is really important for me, and they'll look at you like, I've got, like 10 other guys like waiting
for your job type of thing. And I think it's okay especially I'm thinking, you know, put it in a church context, someone's called his bishop, like to sit down as a family and say we're going to a different season of life. Like dad's not gonna be around on certain nights or Sunday's gonna feel a little little different, and that's okay because
it's a season of life. Right? And that's the beauty of professional sports is you have an off season where it's like, we're gonna go all in on off season as a family and and really be there. But during these months, it's really tough or, you know, unless you're Tom Brady, you may not play too far into your forties. Right? So then that that season will give other opportunities for more balance. And so I think that
so many leaders are high level individuals. They kind of kinda feel that shame and guilt around, like, oh, I I'm not balanced. But it's like, hey. It's okay. Like, this is a season, and there's more good that will come from this than than bad. Right? For sure. So And I think there's something to be said about being intentional with your time. You know? I think I've already realized this.
You know? Like, if if I get home from football and I haven't seen my kids for, you know, all day, like, I'm gone before they wake up. But if I can give them an hour and a half of just 1 on one time and I'm, like, deliberate with that time, like, that's enough for them. You know? That that kind of fills my boys' cup of time with dad. You know? And I think if you're intentional that way and and to your point, like, if you sit down and you talk to the other's family
and, like, hey. This is this is what it is and and you do that, I think a lot of good can come from it. Yeah. Yeah. That's really helpful. So I'm here's comes sort of more light questions. Like, what's it like being a church member in the NFL? Like, I'm always, and his name, the Kansas City coach. Andy Reid. Andy Reid. Yeah. Read his name. But I'm always, like, shocked. He was been at the Super Bowl last few years. There's always he posts a picture of him at church on Super Bowl Sunday,
everything. And I'm like, man, like, I can I'd just be pacing. But, obviously, that's why he has the job, and I don't. But, like, what's it like being a church member during the season and in the off season, or what's that like? Yeah. It definitely creates some unique challenges. You know? There's several Sundays where, like, I I can't attend to You're working. You know? There are some Sundays, and I've had some unique experiences where we'll play at 3 o'clock in Chicago, and we don't
have meetings that morning. And so I'll jump in a Uber, and I'll go you know, I can catch, like, a 45 minute window of sacrament meeting. And I remember doing that, and I ran into a kid that I served in the mission field with, you know, who's going to church at that building at the time. And, so I've had some, like, really unique fun experiences that way. But it is hard. I I miss being with the saints. I miss being able to go to church and worship with, you know,
your neighbors and your community and stuff. And so any opportunity that I have, I I do do that. And going into year 8, I would say that I still don't have, like, everything figured out. Yeah. You know? But my wife and I have been intentional about how do we make sure that we are still having spiritual experiences? How do we make sure that we are, like, allocating time to the Lord? Right? Because I am working on Sunday, but my off day is Tuesday. So, you know, through the years, we
we sat down and we're like, okay. So if it's not Sunday, right, I play on Sunday. Even if it's a home game. I'm, you know, home by, like, 4 o'clock, but I'm beat. You know? So it's hard to sit down and feel like you have enough time you know, energy to, like, allocate to something like that that you would normally normally would. And so we will set aside time either on a Monday or Tuesday where we can sit down and have our own spiritual
lesson, if you will. You know? So we have done different things like that in the past to where we make sure that we are allocating time to the lord and that he recognizes that we're doing our best given the circumstances. And then, you know, off season is obviously really wonderful because I get to go and worship with my neighbors every Sunday. And That's a great experience, and we try to help where and and when we can. You know? I I think I've realized that it's hard to have a normal calling in
the church Yeah. Given, you know, we're half the year in Utah. We're half the year in New Orleans. And when we're in New Orleans, we're, you know, not really there. And so because of that, I feel like we have tried to do our best to whether it's firesides or accepting opportunities to go speak to youth groups or, you know, sitting down and doing a podcast. I feel like we've tried to be intentional to give back in different ways knowing that, you know, it's hard for us to hold a
normal call in. Yep. Yeah. That makes sense. And and that I mean, do you kinda feel like this I mean, the bishop just knows you're sort of unavailable. Right? Or do have have they made attempts to give you callings during the season? Or Yeah. You know, I when I first got down to New Orleans, I served in the young men's presidency, and then later, I was a ward mission
leader. And I think during, you know, off season, I was spending more time during OTAs early in my career in New Orleans, and then that kinda shifted once we had kids and we spent more time here. And so and now I would say in Utah, you know, we got so many wonderful leaders that we have worked with in New Orleans and Utah. But, you know, I sat down with our bishop here and he was like, listen. I know the deal, but, like, will you just be with our youth? You know? So
Cool. I kinda bounce around, you know, with the priest, teachers, deacons. Like, Sunday, you'll see me in different forms and just trying to have different, you know, experiences with each of them. Yeah. So take us to that youth experience. I mean, what have you learned in that dynamic of sitting in a preschooler or whatever it is? Is cars connecting with youth? I know there's a lot of youth leaders that are like, I I wanna connect, but you know what?
How it is. Yeah. I mean, you could pull out some highlights and be like, check this out. Yeah. No. I think it's a great question. I think that that's a hard thing. I I think the thing with kids is kids can tell when you're genuine. You know? Mhmm. Like, obviously, kids are having much different experiences now than you were having when you were a
kid, and and that's okay. You know? I I think kids the thing that I've realized and I would also say the thing that I've realized in the NFL, right, that we our team is made up of so many individuals, right, that have had so many different experiences, grew up in different states, different backgrounds. But the thing that always rings true is when somebody is just who they are, they're genuine in what they're trying to do and accomplish, like, that is always received well.
And I think that when you try to relate to the youth in different ways, I I think that's an important lesson because that that will always be received well. Yeah. You know? Be who you are. And one of my mission presidents, you know, one of the greatest things about him was he led out of love. You know? And he was very intentional about that, like, always expressing how much he cared for missionaries. And that was just who he who he
was. He and his wife were some of the most loving people that I've been around, and that was received very, very well because that's who they were. So I don't know. That's the first thing that that comes to my mind. That's cool. Take me to some leaders you've who've influenced you both, you know, maybe in in the mission context or church context or even the locker rooms, the coaches you've had? What comes to mind as far as things that really stick out to what helped
you as a player? Yeah. That's a great question. I mean, I have been around some wonderful, wonderful leaders. You know? I think one that really sticks out, and maybe that this is kind of like, well, yeah, of course kind of story. I don't know. I felt like this was meaningful to me as a young player in the NFL. So I don't know how familiar you are with my career. You know, I've obviously went to the went to the NFL as a quarterback and then ended up doing all these other things. Green Bay.
Right? Yeah. Started in Green Bay. But my rookie year in New Orleans, we were like I don't know. We were more than halfway through the season. And, I I went to work one morning thinking everything was gonna be the same. And it was a Wednesday morning, our special teams coach grabbed me and he pulls me to a side, and he's like, hey. I'm gonna have you, like, do some stuff on special teams for me today. I was like, what? I was like, okay. You know? Whatever.
Because before that, you were just with the quarterbacks? Yeah. I've never done anything like this. Uh-huh. And that's like, I had never played another position, like, ever. You know? So, certainly, like, going to do something like this in the NFL felt really foreign. So that day, we went to practice, and I did a few things for him, like, special teams wise. And then I go back in the next day, and I was starting on 2 special teams units all of a sudden.
And then he was like, hey. I'm also gonna try you on this. And I was like, okay. So I did that on Thursday, and I go on Friday. And then I'm starting on kickoff, kickoff return, and punt return for the game on Sunday. Oh, really? And I was like, holy cow. You know? Like, I've never played special teams in my life. And, we go to the game. It ended up going really well. And then fast forward later that year, really in 2018, my second year, Sean Head coach. The head coach Mhmm. Starts like,
hey. I'm gonna start doing this. I'm gonna throw you in. We're gonna add some different packages, and, hey. I'm gonna put you a tight end. I'm gonna have you do some of these things. And I had never done any of that. You know? It was so foreign to me. Was this, like, in the midst of us, are you, like, frustrated? Like, are they No. They don't want me as quarterback? Or Not frustrated. And they made it very clear that, like, hey, this doesn't change anything. But, hey, Drew's, like,
a quarterback. Drew Brees. And, like, he's Drew. Right? So, like, we think that you can add value to our team and help us win football games, and this is where this is coming from. You know? So I guess the reason I bring that up is because I think an important part of leadership that I've realized through my experience in the NFL that I
and maybe it's just me. I feel like that this hasn't been talked about a lot is, man, Sean and this other guy, Mike Westoff was his name, had so much faith in me as a football player that they would first of all, they were very vocal about that. You know? Mhmm. They downplayed how unique this was to me in every setting. You know, Sean and Mike were both like, you're gonna be fine. Like, you're just gonna go do this. You'll be fine. You know? And it was really, really empowering.
Mhmm. You know? Just that belief they had in you? The belief they had in me, and they were they were verbal about that. But the biggest thing is it then led to opportunities. Right? They created opportunities for me. And then I was like, okay. They told me they believe in me, but now they're showing me. Like, they are giving me more and more and more opportunities. And that has been a really, really powerful lesson for me in terms of leadership. They empowered me. Without those guys, I would
not be where I'm at today. You know, those guys instilled so much, I don't know, in just power in me. Like, it gave me so much self belief that, like, I could go do these really unique things that I'd never done. Right? And maybe if I was in college or something, it would be one thing, but I was like, I've only played quarterback my whole life, and now I'm doing this in the NFL for the first time ever against the best players in the world. But, like, they believe in me. Yeah. You know? And so
I don't know. That was a really powerful lesson. I think about it a lot. I'm forever grateful for those guys and some of the best leaders I've ever been around. You know? And so I think about me as a as a father. You know, how can I do that to my kids? Yeah. And not only tell them, like, hey. You're a wonderful little boy. I try to always tell my 4 year old, like, you are such a nice little boy. I love how kind you are. I love that you give me hugs and that you
serve your mom. And and then I will try to give him opportunities, you know, to do this, little things like that. But that was a really, really impactful and powerful lesson for me. Yeah. You know, that stands out there. So many times I hear leaders or parents, wherever, they sort of overcompensate on expectations. Like, hey, you better you know, there's an expectation. Like, if they came to me like, hey, if you drop too many of these punts,
like, that's gonna be a problem. Right? But instead, they came at you through a an invitation or or or through your identity. Like, Tayson, we know who you are. Like, we're not even worried about you shifting over here or, you know, doing this or that. You can do this. Like, it's that sort of they pursued you through your identity. And to me, that's such a core gospel principle because everything we every ordinance we do in the church is all about
identity. Yeah. Right? When when we are baptized, we take his name on us. Right? We go to the temple where you receive a new identity. And so that's such an effective leadership principles pursuing people through that identity of believing in who they are. Right? Yeah. Yeah. But I think that such a powerful thing about that is, like, it's one thing it's one thing to go say that to somebody.
Mhmm. Right? It's another thing. Like and I look at my experience on the biggest stage in 2018 when I was doing most of, like, first time I was doing all of this, like, we were the we were the best team in the NFC. Like, we had the Mhmm. Number 1 seed in the NFC. And Sean Payton is, like, taking Drew off the field and giving me opportunities and stuff. You know? So I think of that as, like, how can we empower? To me, that's what leadership is. How can
you empower the people that you lead? How can you create opportunities for them to find success? Right? And I look at some of the best coaches that I've been around, and it's it's the guys that can find ways to get the most out of their players. You know? But so much of that is believing in them, but you also have to create opportunities for them to do it. Right? And, you know, in the church, we talk about delegating all the time. But I think that's
an important Yeah. Principle, right, for letting people that you lead have experiences where they get to accomplish something that's, like, gratifying to them. You know? And then all of a sudden, like, they're different person, and they have different experiences. And, like, oh, yeah. I can do this. You know? Yeah. Yeah. That's powerful. Take me to you're a captain at BYU.
Yep. What is that leadership dynamic like, is there I mean, I know there's, like, a moment where, like, you're officially a captain type of thing, but then, like, how do you step into that role? I mean, what did you see yourself as in the locker room or when someone's having a bad game or I mean, walk us through that experience. Yeah. That's a great question. Look. That's a that was a hard thing because you care a lot about it. Right?
Like, that meant a lot to me to be captain, have the opportunity to represent our team, but, you know, you take it one step further. I you know, one of the things that always drew me to BYU was having the opportunity to represent something far larger than yourself. Right? And to be able to represent the church and be an ambassador for the church, like, meant a lot to me. So then to be a captain and have the opportunity to do that was, you know, it was it was a little daunting at times.
So I think for me, I think my biggest thing that I always try to do, I always try to make sure that I work the hardest. You know? I always try to make sure that, like, I was never asking something of players or teammates that I wasn't willing to do. You know? And I think that there's an important component of availability. You know, when I talk about availability, I'm I'm talking about where are you watching film? Where are you, like, eating your lunch? Where are you doing different
things? Like, are you being available to your teammates to get to know you? And so when you step on the field, like, they know who you are. They trust you. They've seen the work that you've put in. And the other thing I I'll tell you, you know, kinda my go to as a quarterback, we football is a imperfect game. We're gonna make mistakes. We're gonna drop balls. We're gonna throw interceptions. Like, that's just going to happen. And I think as a competitor, it's really
easy to to beat yourself up. Right? Like, I made a mistake. I I fumbled. I, you know, I did this. And, you know, what was most important to me was we learn from what happened. Right? And we move on. And I had so many conversations with my teammates around this idea, and I'd always tell them, like, hey. You know, we're good. Right? Like and here's the thing. I know that you're gonna get the next one, but what we can have happen is allow this to affect what happens
the next series or the next play. Right? Because we're all counting on you. And if we let a bad play affect the next one, well, then then we have problems. Yeah. So I don't know. It's it's kind of a loaded question, and there's a lot of ways that that you could go. I I think that that is, you know, one of the few things that I try to focus on. Yeah. That's helpful. And then how about now, like, in the Saints locker room, like, you're established player on the team and you've you've earned a lot
of respect there. Like, how do you show up there? How do you impact the culture of the locker room or know when a game's going sideways or things like that? Anything you wanna mind? Yeah. I think it's all the same. You know? I think when things are tough, people need to look over and and see that you know that, like, we're gonna get through this. You know? And I learned a powerful lesson. I remember I'm trying to remember exactly who pointed it
out. Maybe it was Sean. Sean had made a comment to me in passing. He said, I want you to pay attention to Drew during the game. He goes, because when you look at Drew, you won't know if we're up 40, you won't know if we're down 40, or if we're getting ready to go have a 2 minute drive to win the Super Bowl. Yeah. And so I always paid attention, and he was right. I never saw Drew's demeanor change. He was always locked into the game. He always knew what was going on.
And I I think that that's an important part of leadership. Right? When things are going well, I I think it's important to have fun. Right? But I think it's important that you are, like, a steady, consistent figure, whether in the locker room, in your ward, right, in a family that just had a really difficult thing happen. And when things are going poorly, I think the same thing. Right? You have to stay consistent. Right? And I think people will follow you that way.
And they look to that and they get power from it knowing that, like, hey. We just had something really bad happen, but we're gonna get through it because I know that guy's leading us. Yeah. And we're gonna be just fine. Yeah. Yeah. There's something that component of of just being a measured leader of, like, we don't get too happy. We don't get too sad. We Sure.
You know, we experience emotion, sure. But when people look to you, it's like there's some stability there that draws people to say, like, you know, I'll follow that guy anyway. Yeah. And I I can think of so many experiences throughout my career playing with Drew and I've I've referenced him a lot, but he's one of the best leaders I've ever been around, you know? And I can think of huge moments. And the dude was just it was crazy. Wow. Wow. That's awesome. Talk to me about just being a Latter
day Saint in the NFL. I mean, I there's a handful of funny or unique, Steve Young stories that he's told. You know? But is there anything to it? I mean, does it come up a lot or it's just like, let's go win the next one? Yeah. I mean, it does it does come up. I don't feel like there's ever been, like, a really hostile, you know, situation. I've had so many wonderful conversations with teammates, you know, that are curious, like, for why why would you go serve for 2 years? You know? And
they're so curious about that. You know? And so you have an opportunity to talk about that experience and the impact that it's had on you and your family. And that has been, you know, some wonderful, wonderful conversations. I've been in a few situations where I've had to defend the faith, and that luckily didn't get too hostile. Mhmm. That
ended up being fine. You know? But I think that as a Latter day Saint and the way social media is and everything out there, like, I think that that's gonna happen more and more often. And I love the way the church has started to handle these things. I feel like, Hey, we're going to put all the information out there for you. Like, and, you know, here's how you handle
these situations. And, but I, I have been in a few situations where some teammates have, have come and asked, you know, some questions and allowed me to defend the faith. And then I've had silly experiences, you know, like, you know, as you're getting dressed in the locker room, there's a lot of curiosity around the clothes, the other clothes that you wear. But I will say everyone has has been very, very respectful. That's cool. You know, very respectful of of my
faith. And and, you know, in a lot of cases, have been very open to understanding what I believe, wanting to learn more. Yeah. Well, I think, you know, you've been a great ambassador just for the faith and just to see somebody out there and, you know, it's especially as you watch BYU games, it's almost, like, comical. Like, the the color guy always has the, well, he, you know, he served a 2 year, you know, whatever year to so many
times. Talked a lot. Trust me. I got teammates that are like, bro, we played you guys, and we were playing grown men. You guys were so strong. And I was like, okay. Stop it. Stop it. Because you could go and do the same thing. Like, if you wanted to be 2 years older Yeah. And, you you know, that could be your whole recruiting philosophy. If it was an advantage, everybody would do it. Okay? So, like, stop it. So true. Anything else before we wrap up? Like, you think of people you see as
mentors, like Drew Brees or others? Like, any other lessons that, that stand out in your career as far as being mentored by these individuals? Yeah. I I'm I don't know. I I think that there's there's so much. I think I love a phrase and I forget who who said it, but it was at all times share the gospel and sometimes use words. Mhmm. I think as a leader, everyone
is watching what you're doing. Right? When you're in these situations and there's a lot of really observant eyes and mostly, you know, young people, I think of that as a as a dad. Like, I'm entering this phase as a 4 year old where my 4 year old is doing everything that I'm doing. Like, I go to check the garden. He's out there with me and he's, you know, getting his hands dirty. And so I think that that's important thing to understand,
to know and realize. And, you know, the best ones that I have been around from a church leadership standpoint, whether in the NFL or, you know, whatever, it's it's people that that understood that, you know, and they were the same person. They were just a consistent, you know, example in what it's like to be Christlike. Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome.
Well, last question I have for you is, as you reflect on your time as a leader in even in the in in the in football, how has being a leader helped you become a better follower of Jesus Christ? Yeah. I mean, it it definitely changes your perspective. Right? I think as you've you've been a leader, I think you now understand what other people have gone through. Right? I think you understand maybe the savior a little bit better as he was serving his earthly ministry and all the things
that that he did. So I think gaining that perspective helps you maybe be a little less judgmental and accept, you know, certainly in in the church, you know, accept that, you know, this person has been called God. And as a result, he's it's his role and responsibility to make decisions and he's entitled to that revelation and to support that, right, when you've been in those situations and you want people to
support the things that that you're pushing. So I think it's it's all about perspective, you know, and if you can take a step back and have the perspective of the leaders, then I think it's it's gonna make you a better fellow. That concludes this episode of the Leading Saints podcast. We'd love to hear from you about your questions or thoughts or comments. You can either leave a comment on the, post related to this episode at leading saints.org, or go to leading saints dotorg/contact
and send us your perspective or questions. If there's other episodes or topics you'd like to hear on the Leading Saints podcast, go to leading saints.org/contact and share with us the information there. And we would love for you to share this with any individual you think this would apply to, especially maybe individuals in your ward council or other leaders that you may know who would really appreciate the perspectives that we discussed.
Remember, check the show notes to listen to the powerful presentation by the General Young Men, Young Women Advisory Council members, or go to leading saints.org/14. It came as a result of the position of leadership which was imposed upon us by the God of heaven who brought forth a restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When the declaration was made concerning the own and only true and living Church upon the face of the earth, we were immediately put in a position of loneliness, the loneliness of leadership from which we cannot shrink nor run away, and to which we must face up with boldness and courage and ability.