'Hank' Hill? Vikings recall him for his brain

SANTA CLARA – Flying back to Minnesota after road games in 2005, Vikings quarterbacks Shaun Hill and Brad Johnson always found two seats together and talked X's and O's until the plane was parked at the gate. What was telling was that Johnson, a 13-year veteran at the time, would listen closely to what Hill would have to say. And Hill had never even taken a regular-season snap. "I just thought that he had a feel for the game," Johnson said. "He would tell me what was the best play for me – in the red zone, on third and long. He knew football, and he loved it. He could see the big picture of what was going on." Indeed, Hill's brain is the first thing former teammates and coaches cite when asked how the lightly regarded quarterback from Maryland stuck around for four seasons with the Vikings. In 2002, Hill was perceived to be one of those quarterbacks who excel at the college level by pluck and force of will but who don't have the arm or athleticism to make it in the N...