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 NFL.

He did have one thing going for him, however – a connection.

Minnesota's coach at the time, Mike Tice, was a Maryland alumnus who watched Hill lead a middling Terrapins team to the Orange Bowl the year before. Tice and the Vikings outbid the Giants and Dolphins – their offensive coordinator at the time, Norv Turner, also was fond of Hill – and Hill joined them as an undrafted free agent.

"I thought he had a chance to be a No. 2, and I knew he'd be an excellent No. 3," said Tice, who is now the tight ends coach with Jacksonville.

At the time, Hill actually was the No. 5 quarterback behind Daunte Culpepper, Todd Bouman, Spurgeon Wynn and Romaro Miller. But Hill clung to a roster spot by making the most of his opportunities, even if they did all come in the fourth quarter of exhibition games.

"The biggest thing that pops out about Shaun is that he's very bright," Tice said. "He understands football. He understands where to go with the football, and he makes quick decisions. The second thing is that he's a better athlete than people think he is."

Tice said he'd often have Hill line up at tight end in practice and quickly discovered no one could cover him.

Recalled Hill: "My rookie year, I could never get a repetition in practice. I had to get on the field any way I could – as a tight end, receiver, whatever."

The Vikings' roster that year included Culpepper, Randy Moss and Michael Bennett. Hill was so anonymous no one knew his real name. Bennett called him "Hank" after he arrived, and it stuck so well that over the next four seasons, it ceased to become a nickname. People on the team thought his name was Hank.

Why Hank?

"You know what – I don't know," Johnson said. "I guess he just looks like a Hank."

Following the 2005 season, when Hill knew he would be moving on, he wondered if his teammates knew his given name was actually Shaun. So he approached receiver Travis Taylor one day and asked if he knew his name.

Taylor looked at him earnestly and said, "Hank, right?"

Now Hank, er, Hill returns to the spot where his NFL career began, this time as a No. 1 quarterback who has won nine of the 12 contests he's started. There are new faces in Minnesota now, but the old ones are watching him closely.

"I've always said it's harder to get a chance to start than it is to be successful when you are the starter," Johnson said. "He's a guy that's just never been given much credit. This guy – he just finds a way to win."