Will Hill (AP)

INDIANAPOLIS — The last few years, the pipeline from Gainesville to Foxboro has been free-flowing with talent, as ex-Gators like Jermaine Cunningham, Brandon Spikes and Aaron Hernandez have all made their way from the University of Florida to New England. Before than, former Gators like Jeremy Mincey and Chad Jackson (not to mention veteran Fred Taylor) were among those who have spent time with the Patriots.

According to safety Will Hill, it’s hard to miss New England coach Bill Belichick when he shows up on the Gainesville campus. He’s best pals with the Florida coach, who recently stepped away from coaching full time.

“I haven’t really spoken to him, [but] I’ve seen him around,” Hill said when asked about Belichick Sunday at the NFL scouting combine. “That’s Urban Meyer‘s best friend.”

And because “Meyer’s best friend” maintains an affinity for several of Meyer’s old players, Hill said Sunday he’s kept in touch with several Patriots over the last year, including Spikes and Hernandez.

“When I first got [to Florida], nobody would talk to me,” Hill said. “They took me under their wing.”

Like Hernandez (who was hit with drug allegations last offseason) and Spikes (whose involvement in a sex tape surfaced on the Internet this past year), Hill has had been dogged by character issues — his Twitter feed read like an almost exaggerated account of a hard-partying college lifestyle.

But Hill said Sunday those days are all behind him, making sure to note with reporters that he has a wife and kids. In addition, thanks to his pals on the Patriots, he said he’s learned his lessons, saying the Spikes’ incident was a real eye-opener.

“We talked about that,” Hill said of the Spikes’ tape. “At the end of it he was like well you learned what to do and what not to do. I learned from his mistake also.

“There’s rumors out here that Will Hill is a party guy. If I go out now, my wife is with me and my kids. I don’t go out to meet people or galavant. I sit back and just relax and enjoy my time.”