Ex-Vikes QB sits pretty with 49ers

Former Vikings No. 3 quarterback Shaun Hill made several copies of a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. Then he made darn sure to deliver them throughout San Francisco 49ers headquarters. ¶ No, it wasn't a recap of his 8-3 record as the team's starting quarterback. No, it had nothing to do with how he outplayed Kurt Warner while rallying the 49ers to a road victory over the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. ¶ "It's some sort of NFL handsome poll or study that the Wall Street Journal wrote about," Vikings tight end Jeff Dugan said. "I just talked to him, and he's all excited. He finished seventh among starting quarterbacks."

That's when I suggested that perhaps it isn't too insulting to finish behind Gisele Budchen's beau, Tom Brady.

"No, that's one of the things he was happy about," Dugan said. "Brady is behind him."

Uh ... really?

The study was conducted by Ursinus College professor Jennifer VanGilder, former student Lisle O'Neill and Southern Utah University economist David Berri. It ranked NFL quarterbacks based on "facial symmetry," which apparently is important when it comes to success and catching Gisele's eyes.

Atlanta's Matt Ryan finished first, followed by your very own Brett Favre, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck, Tennessee's Kerry Collins and Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger. Then Hill. And then Brady.

Not bad for a guy known around Winter Park as "Hank" because of how closely his personality resembles the lead character on "King of the Hill."

Then-Vikings coach Mike Tice, a former Terrapin, never met a turtle he didn't like. He picked some good ones such as E.J. Henderson and Dugan.

It was just assumed that Hill spent four years on the roster because he shared the same college fight song as Tice. Who knew Tice actually was a quarterback guru?

When Hill was in Minnesota, his highlights were playing well in the preseason, and the time he and tight end Sean Burton went to Daunte Culpepper's Halloween party dressed in the orange and powder blue tuxedos that were similar to those worn by the lead characters in "Dumb & Dumber."

On the field, Hill's only regular-season action came in one game in 2005 when he kneeled down twice to end a game. Things are a little different now in San Francisco.

Now in his fourth season with the 49ers, Hill goes into Sunday's home game against Seattle as a firm starter ahead of former No. 1 overall draft pick Alex Smith.

"We had some good quarterbacks back when Shaun was here," Dugan said. "Sure, it was tough on him not playing. But he's a smart guy. He doesn't need a lot of reps. He used the time he didn't play to get better."

Now that he's a starting QB, does Hill still remember the little people at Winter Park?

"Yeah," Dugan said. "Same guy he always was."

Just better looking.