Taysom Hill family: BYU football alum shares IVF journey

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (7) runs a route during a game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in New Orleans.

Taysom Hill put the spotlight on his family ahead of his season-ending injury in the New Orleans Saints game Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.

He wore cleats honoring the Hope for Fertility Foundation as part of the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” program and told the Fox coverage team about what IVF has meant to him and his wife, Emily.

“He and his wife struggled with fertility issues. ... They shed a lot of tears throughout the process with IVF but they were able to have two boys,” a Fox sideline reporter said as she recalled her conversation with Hill during a pause in the game action.

Special Collector's Issue: "1984: The Year BYU was Second to None" Get an inclusive look inside BYU Football's 1984 National Championship season. Buy Now

As the reporter noted, the Hills now have two sons: Beau Nixon Hill, who was born in August 2020, and Bennett Taysom Hill, who was born in April 2023.

The former BYU football star often shares photos of his boys on Instagram.

For “My Cause, My Cleats,” NFL players wear customized cleats for one or two games during the season.

The cleats can then be auctioned off to raise money for the causes the players have chosen to support.

Hill’s cleats for Sunday’s game were white with gold and blue detailing. The outside of the left shoe was painted with the word “Hope” in capital letters, according to photos of the cleats shared by the Saints.

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill wears special My Cause My Cleats shoes honoring the Hope for Fertility Foundation before a game against the Los Angeles Rams in New Orleans, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. The Rams won 21-14. | Gerald Herbert

With the shoes, Hill had five receptions for 37 yards and five carries for 10 yards before being carted off the field with an injury with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

The knee injury is believed to be season-ending, as the Deseret News previously reported.

Click here to read article