Sycamore's Steve Hull to haul in passes for Saints

SYCAMORE TWP. – He is still unfamiliar with the term "beignet" and probably should steer clear of hurricane drinks and hurricane storms.

Other than that, New Orleans seems to be agreeing with former Sycamore High School football player Steve Hull. The undrafted rookie free agent defensive back-turned-receiver from the University of Illinois was signed by the NFL Saints after a brief tryout.

The 2009 Sycamore grad spent May 16-18 in the Crescent City learning the Saints system as they installed plays. Offensively, coach Sean Payton has had New Orleans on the move for some time.

"Needless to say, the quarterback (Drew Brees) is exceptional," Hull said. "I do what I can and learn from the film study."

After not getting picked in the NFL draft, Hull and his agent began fielding phone calls and arranged the opportunity with the Saints. Hull offers a unique perspective to an offense, having been a defensive player for most of his career with the Illini until being switched back to receiver last year.

He finished the season with 59 catches for 993 yards and seven touchdowns, including one against the University of Cincinnati last September.

"It was a ton of information, especially with the defensive mind of coach (Reid) Ryan," Hull said of his initial experience. "He's a defensive genius. His schemes are pretty far out there to grasp at first glance. It's refreshing to be confused and figuring things out again."

With his background, the 6-foot-1, 198-pound Hull also figures to be a prime candidate on special teams. He's played both sides of the ball since being a two-way player for the Aviators and coach Scott Dattilo.

"It's all about working leverages," Hull said. "Based on the coverages, I know the techniques. All of those tiny steps can make a big difference. I pride myself on being one of the smartest guys in the room and knowing the playbook."

The Saints thus far have been at their practice facility, so Hull has yet to play in the cavernous Super Dome. To his recollection, the only college game he played indoors was a State Farm rivalry game in St. Louis at the Edward Jones Dome.

So far, he's heard good things about his work ethic and feels his intestinal fortitude will prevail as it has throughout his career. The term "underdog" is nothing new to Hull.

"I wouldn't advise anyone to get stacked behind the cards," he said. "It happened in high school, it happened in recruiting and it happened in Illinois with the change of position. It's something that I welcome. I understand that God has a plan with everything He does in my life."

At Sycamore, Hull had four varsity letters in football, four in track and three in basketball. He actually played on an AAU basketball team with Loveland's Brian Wozniak and Indian Hill's Ted Bolser, who also are entering the NFL.

He hopes his penchant for pulling down passes thrown to him or away from him leads to a long pro career.