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Tim Tebow

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Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow[1] (pronounced /ˈtiːboʊ/; born August 14, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida.

Tim Tebow
refer to caption
Tebow during warm-ups with the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in 2010.
No. 15 – Denver Broncos
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1987-08-14) August 14, 1987 (age 37)
Makati City, Philippines
Career information
College:Florida
NFL draft:2010 / round: 1 / pick: 25
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 11, 2011
TD–INT:12-4
Passing yards:1,363
QB Rating:79.8
Rushing Yards:615
Rushing Touchdowns:9
Stats at Pro Football Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Tebow played quarterback for Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and was ranked among the top quarterback prospects in the nation as a high school senior.[2] He ultimately chose to attend the University of Florida. Tebow was a dual threat quarterback, adept at rushing and passing the football. As a college freshman, the Gators' coaches largely used him as a change of pace to the team's more traditional passing quarterback, Chris Leak.[3] Tebow contributed to the Gators' 2006 college football season as a key back-up, helping the team win college football's national championship game for the first time since 1996.

During the 2007 season, Tebow was Florida's starting quarterback and became the first college football player to both rush and pass for 20 or more touchdowns in a single season and the first college sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy.[4] In addition to winning the Heisman Trophy, his 2007 performance earned him the Maxwell Award as the nation's top football player, the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback and the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's most outstanding amateur athlete in any sport. In 2008, Tebow led Florida to its second national championship in three years. He was named the offensive MVP of the national championship game.

Early years

 
Tebow at the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl as a high school senior.

Tebow was born in Makati City in the Philippines, the son of Pamela Pemberton Tebow, daughter of a U.S. Army colonel, and Robert Ramsey Tebow, a pastor, who were serving as Christian Baptist missionaries at the time.[1][5][6][7][8] While pregnant, his mother suffered a life-threatening infection with a pathogenic amoeba. Because of the drugs used to rouse her from a coma and to treat her dysentery, the fetus experienced a severe placental abruption. Doctors had expected a stillbirth and recommended an abortion to protect her life,[1] but she remained undaunted and refused having an abortion.

Tebow is the youngest of five children, with sisters Christy and Katie, and brothers Robby and Peter.[9] All of the Tebow children were homeschooled by their mother, who worked to instill the family's Christian beliefs along the way.[6] In 1996, legislation was passed in Florida allowing homeschooled students to compete in local high school sporting events. The law specifies that homeschooled students may participate on the team of the local school in the school district in which they live.[10] The Tebows lived in Jacksonville, Florida, and Tim played linebacker and tight end at the local Trinity Christian Academy for one season. Tebow's preferred position was quarterback, but Trinity football team's offense did not rely on passing the football, so he began to explore his options to play for a new high school.[11] He decided to attend Nease High School, which under head coach Craig Howard was known for having a passing offense. With the rest of his family living on a farm in Duval County, Tim and his mother moved into an apartment in nearby St. Johns County, making him eligible to play for the football team at Nease. His performance soon turned heads and led to a minor controversy regarding the fact that he was a home-schooled student having his choice of school to play for.[12]

As a junior at Nease, Tebow gained prominence as he became a major college football quarterback prospect and was named the state of Florida's Player of the Year.[13] He would repeat as Player of the Year in his senior season.[13] One of his highlights as a high school athlete was finishing a game on a broken leg.[14] During his senior season he led the Nease Panthers to a state title, earned All-State honors, was named Florida's Mr. Football and a Parade magazine high school All-American.[15] Tebow finished his high school career with 9,810 passing yards, 3,186 rushing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and 62 rushing touchdowns. He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas which features the top 78 senior high school football players in the nation and is shown nationally on NBC television.[16]

Tebow was considered one of the nation's top recruits and was the subject of an ESPN "Faces in Sports" documentary. The segment was titled "Tim Tebow: The Chosen One", and focused on Tim's homeschool controversy and missionary work in the Philippines, as well as his exploits on the field of play and the college recruiting process.[17] Tim Tebow was also featured in Sports Illustrated on the "Faces in the Crowd" page.[18] In 2007 he was named to FHSAA's All-Century Team that listed the Top 33 football players in the state of Florida's 100 year history of high school football.[19]

Despite having family ties to the University of Florida, where his parents first met as students,[20] Tebow remained open-minded during the recruiting process and became very close to Alabama coach Mike Shula.[21] After careful consideration he decided to play for Urban Meyer's Florida Gators. One of the reasons he chose Florida was because of Meyer's spread option offense, an offense for which Tebow was deemed an archetypal quarterback.[22]

Tebow spent the last three summers before enrolling at the University of Florida in the Philippines, assisting with his father's orphanage and missionary work.[23]

In answer to a 2009 interview question, Tebow stated that he was a virgin.[24] The statement was subject to much discussion about whether the question was necessary, including criticism of the reporter who originally asked.[25]

Effect on homeschooling movement

On January 7, 2007, Tebow was featured prominently in an ESPN "Outside The Lines" feature on homeschooled athletes seeking equal access to high school athletics in other states. Because a homeschooler's access to public and private school athletic functions vary by state, Tebow and New York Jets defensive end Jason Taylor (who was allowed to play at his local high school in Pennsylvania) argue in favor of extending the right to play for local teams to more states.[26]

Upon becoming the first home-schooled athlete to be nominated for the Heisman Trophy, Tebow remarked, "That's really cool. A lot of times people have this stereotype of homeschoolers as not very athletic – it's like, go win a spelling bee or something like that – it's an honor for me to be the first one to do that."[27]

Tebow's example inspired equal access supporters in Alabama to name their bill in the Alabama Legislature "The Tim Tebow Bill".[28] The bill, which is pending in the Alabama Legislature, will allow Alabama homeschool athletes to play for their local high school teams just as Tebow did in Florida.

In January 2009, the "Tebow bill" was introduced in the Kentucky General Assembly.[29] This bill, which is still pending, is also modeled after Florida state law, allowing homeschool athletes to play for their local sports teams.[30]

Tebow received the 2008 Quaqua Protégé Award as an outstanding home-education graduate.[31]

College career

As one of the most highly recruited quarterback prospects in the nation, Tebow received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Urban Meyer's Florida Gators football team from 2006 to 2009.[32] From his freshman season in 2006, when he was a backup behind the Gators' career passing yardage leader, Chris Leak, to his Heisman Trophy-winning sophomore season in 2007, to his BCS Championship-winning junior season in 2008, to his 13–1 senior season, Tebow left an indelible legacy on the Florida Gators football program. The Gators coaches selected him as a team captain in 2008 and 2009, and he is the only three-time recipient of the Gators' most valuable player award, having been chosen by his teammates in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

2006

See also: 2006 Florida Gators football team

Tebow started his career at Florida in the 2006 "Orange and Blue" Spring scrimmage, where he completed 15 of 21 pass attempts for 197 yards and one touchdown.[33] Coach Urban Meyer declared that Leak would remain the starting quarterback despite the expectations and performance of Tebow in the game.[34] Prior to the 2006 season, Tebow was listed by Sports Illustrated as college football's future top mobile quarterback.[35] Although Tebow remained the freshman backup behind senior Chris Leak throughout the season, Tebow was a significant contributor to the Gators' 2006 success.

Tebow made his college debut coming off the bench behind Chris Leak in a goal line situation against Southern Miss. He rushed for a touchdown on a designed quarterback scramble on his first play.[36] In his next game, he led the team in rushing yards against UCF.[37]

Tebow made his SEC debut against the Tennessee Volunteers on September 16. His performance included a ten-yard run on his first carry and converting a critical fourth down near the end of the game, which led to the Gators' go-ahead touchdown.[38]

Tebow's biggest game in the season came against the LSU Tigers on October 7, where he accounted for all three of the Gators' touchdowns, passing for two and rushing for another. Tebow had a one-yard run on the goal line for his first score, a one-yard "jump pass" to tight end Tate Casey, in which he jumped in the air and double-pumped his arm before releasing the ball, and a 35-yard play-action pass to wide receiver Louis Murphy.[39]

Tebow played a role in the Gators' victory in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game against Ohio State. He threw for one touchdown and rushed for another, finishing with 39 rushing yards.[40] He finished 2006 with the second-most rushing yards on the Gator team.[41]

2007

 
Tebow (on right) and other Gator QBs during pre-game warm-ups.
See also: 2007 Florida Gators football team

Tebow was named the starting quarterback for the Florida Gators for the 2007 season and was tipped by Sporting News to be one of college football's "Breakout Players of 2007".[42] The Gators' offense in 2007 was expected to be similar to what Urban Meyer used at Utah. Meyer viewed Tebow's abilities as being "very similar to Alex Smith."[43] Smith had been a highly effective dual threat quarterback for Meyer's last team at Utah in 2004, and led the Utes to play in and win a BCS bowl game, the first team from outside the BCS conferences to do so. Smith went on to be the top overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Questions loomed as to whether or not Tebow was skilled enough as a passer to be able to carry the responsibilities of a starting quarterback,[44] but he opened the year 13-of-17 for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns in his starting debut against Western Kentucky University.[45] Tebow finished the regular season with 217 completed passes in 317 attempts for 3132 yards gained and 29 touchdowns with six interceptions—giving him the second highest passing efficiency in the nation with 177.8. Additionally, he rushed 194 times for 838 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground through 11 games.[46] Tebow's 51 touchdowns were more than 87 Division 1-A Teams scored.[47]

In week 4 of the season, when the Gators faced Ole Miss in an SEC match-up, Tebow broke the school record for rushing yards by a quarterback in one game, with 166 yards.[48] On November 3, against Vanderbilt, Tebow rushed for two touchdowns to break the all-time SEC quarterback TD record in a single season.[49] Against LSU, leading by 10 in the 4th quarter, Tebow was largely ineffective and had a turnover as he was unable to lead his team to any score, and LSU came back to win the game. LSU went on to win the 2007 National Championship.

In a game versus the South Carolina Gamecocks on November 10, Tebow broke the school record for rushing touchdowns in a season and set a career high with 5 rushing touchdowns. This brought his season total to 19 rushing touchdowns, which tied him for the SEC record for any player in a season (shared with Shaun Alexander, Garrison Hearst, and LaBrandon Toefield). He also broke Danny Wuerffel's conference record for touchdowns accounted for in a single season with 42.[50]

On November 17, Tebow had a record day against Florida Atlantic, he scored his 20th rushing touchdown to set a new conference record for most rushing touchdowns in a season. He also became the only person ever in NCAA History to score 20 touchdowns rushing and 20 touchdowns passing in the same season.[4]

On November 24, against the Florida State Seminoles, Tebow threw for three touchdowns and rushed for two in a 45–12 rout of the Seminoles. It was later revealed that Tebow fractured his right hand during the third quarter but played the rest of the game. He had to wear a cast for the next three weeks.[51]

After the 2007 season was over, Tebow was recognized as a first-team All-SEC selection and a consensus first-team All-American,[52] and became a favorite for the Heisman Trophy, given to the most outstanding college football player of the year, which he won on December 8 in New York City. He also received the Davey O'Brien Award, annually given to the best quarterback in the nation, on February 18 in Fort Worth, Texas.

While the Gators finished the season in Orlando, Florida with a 41–35 loss to Michigan in the 2008 Capital One Bowl, Tebow maintained his record for both rushing and passing for at least one touchdown in every game played, and he raised the record for total touchdowns accounted for in a single season to 55.[53] He played with a soft cast on the hand he broke in his previous game.

Heisman Trophy

On December 8, 2007, Tebow was awarded the Heisman Trophy, finishing ahead of Arkansas's Darren McFadden, Hawaii's Colt Brennan, and Missouri's Chase Daniel. He was the first underclassman to have ever won the Heisman Trophy.[14] He garnered 462 first place votes and 1957 points, 254 points ahead of runner-up Arkansas running back Darren McFadden.[54] He finished the regular season as the only player in FBS history to rush and pass for at least 20 touchdowns in both categories in the same season.[55] He had 32 passing touchdowns, and 23 rushing touchdowns. Tebow's rushing TD total in the 2007 season is the most recorded for any position in SEC history.[56] The total also set the record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in FBS history. Tebow became the third UF player to win the Heisman Trophy, joining Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel.[57]

2008

See also: 2008 Florida Gators football team

Before the 2007 season had even come to a close, Florida coach Urban Meyer stated that he would likely use two quarterbacks during the 2008 season to take some of the workload off of Tebow's shoulders.[58] Tebow led the Gators in rushing in 2007[59] but also had to play through a bruised shoulder and broken non-throwing hand.[58]

Before the 2008 season even started, Tebow had his name pulled from consideration for the Playboy Preseason All-American team because it conflicted with his Christian beliefs.[60]

On November 1, 2008, playing against the Georgia Bulldogs, Tebow ran for his 37th rushing touchdown, breaking the school record previously held by former Florida running back Emmitt Smith.

Tebow led the Gators to a 12–1 record in 2008. After clinching the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division title, the team played for and won the SEC title in the 2008 SEC Championship Game against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The win secured the #2 ranking in the final BCS standings, which earned the Gators the chance to play the #1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game, which they won 24–14.

On December 13, 2008, Tebow finished third in the 2008 Heisman Trophy voting, with Oklahoma's Sam Bradford taking the top spot followed by Texas' Colt McCoy, despite Tebow receiving the most first-place votes.[61] Tebow also won the Maxwell Award in 2008, becoming only the second player to win the award twice.[62]

On January 11, 2009, at a national championship celebration held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Tebow announced that he would not make himself eligible for the 2009 NFL Draft, but would instead return for his senior season at Florida.[63] One day later, he had surgery on his right shoulder to remove a bone spur in an effort to reduce chronic inflammation.[64]

2008 Heisman Trophy Finalist Voting
Finalist First place votes
(3 pts. each) 		Second place votes
(2 pts. each) 		Third place votes
(1 pt. each) 		Total points
Sam Bradford 300 315 196 1,726
Colt McCoy 266 288 230 1,604
Tim Tebow 309 207 234 1,575
Source:[65]

2009

Main article: 2009 Florida Gators football team

Tebow opened the 2009 season continuing a streak of throwing and running for a touchdown in blowout wins over Charleston Southern and Troy. He ran for a touchdown in the third game, a win against Tennessee, but failed to throw for a touchdown for the first time since his freshman season.

Tebow started against Kentucky despite suffering from a respiratory illness and taking two bags of intravenous fluids before the game.[66] He ran for two touchdowns to put him in 2nd place on the all-time SEC touchdown list and he also threw for a touchdown. Late in the third quarter he was hit in the chest by Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham and then in the back of the head while falling by knee of Florida tackle Marcus Gilbert. Upon impact, he briefly displayed a prominent Fencing Response with his left arm, indicating that a concussion had taken place.[67] He lay motionless for several minutes before being helped to the sidelines. Once there, he vomited. He was taken by ambulance to the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center.[68][69] A CT scan showed no bleeding in the brain, with the injury described as a mild concussion.[70][71] Coach Urban Meyer stayed the night in the hospital with Tebow, who was discharged in the morning.[72]

On October 31, 2009, while playing against the Georgia Bulldogs, Tebow ran for his 50th and 51st rushing touchdowns, breaking the SEC career record previously held by former Georgia running back Herschel Walker.[73] His penultimate collegiate game, the 2009 SEC Championship saw him once again facing the University of Alabama. After a poor performance from the QB, the game ended in a Florida loss with Tebow on the sideline in tears. In the 2010 Sugar Bowl, Tebow's last college game, he had 533 yards of total offense—a record for a Bowl Championship Series game—and accounted for four touchdowns in a 51–24 Florida win against Cincinnati.[74]

Tebow graduated from the University of Florida in December 2009 with a bachelor's degree in family, youth and community sciences.

Statistics

[75][75]
    Passing   Rushing
Season Team GP Rating Att Comp Pct Yds TD INT Sack Att Yds TD
2006 Florida Gators 14 201.7 33 22 66.7 358 5 1 0 89 469 8
2007 Florida Gators 13 172.5 350 234 66.9 3286 32 6 13 210 895 23
2008 Florida Gators 14 172.4 298 192 64.4 2747 30 4 15 176 673 12
2009 Florida Gators 14 155.6 304 213 70.1 2895 21 5 25 217 910 14
Totals 55 176.0 985 661 67.1 9286 88 15 53 692 2947 57

"The Tebow Rule"

In 2010, a new rule for the next NCAA football season, dubbed "The Tebow Rule"[76][77][78] by media because it would have affected him, banned messages on eye paint.[78] During his college football career, Tebow frequently wore biblical verses on his eye black. In the 2009 BCS Championship Game, he wore John 3:16 on his eye paint, and as a result, 92 million people searched "John 3:16" on Google during or shortly after the game.[76][78] Additionally, later, when Tebow switched to another verse, there were 3.43 million searches of "Tim Tebow" and "Proverbs 3:5-6" together.[79] Tebow stated of the searches "It just goes to show you the influence and the platform that you have as a student-athlete and as a quarterback at Florida".[79]

The NFL already has a rule like this in prohibiting players from wearing messages on eye black; so, Tebow would not be able to continue the practice in the NFL.[78] Despite the media labeling it as the Tebow rule, the NCAA denies the rule was influenced by Tebow particularly, since many other notable players (Reggie Bush and Terrelle Pryor for example) wear or have worn messages on eye black.[80][81] An NCAA spokesman said "When this rule was proposed the committee did not focus on any one team or student athlete. That measure reinforces what the intended use of eye black is, which is to shade the eyes from the sun."[81]

Professional career

Pre-draft

After passing on the 2009 NFL Draft for his senior season at Florida, Tebow went on to enter the 2010 NFL Draft. Despite his college success, Tebow's NFL potential was much debated. According to former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden, he could "revolutionize" the pro game. Says Gruden: "Tim Tebow is 250 pounds, and he's the strongest human being that's ever played the position. He can throw well enough at any level."[82] Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy said he would pick Tebow with a top 10 pick, and would take him over any quarterback in the 2010 draft.[83] On the other hand, NFL analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. believes Tebow does not have the intangibles to play quarterback in the NFL. "I don't think he can be a fulltime quarterback. I don't think he can be the quarterback of the future for you, but I do think in the third round, maybe the second round, he'll be the same as Pat White", said Kiper.[84]

Tebow was particularly mentioned as a potential third round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, his hometown team. Some, including Florida governor Charlie Crist, believe that Tebow could be the remedy for dwindling Jaguars ticket sales at EverBank Field.[85] Early in the 2009 season, Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver stated: "He (Tebow) clearly is an outstanding football player and would be an asset to any football organization. Clearly there's going to be a groundswell for Tebow, and we'll have to make that evaluation if we have a draft pick that's going to be anywhere near him."[86] Not everyone in the organization agreed, as Jaguar lineman Uche Nwaneri posted doubts about Tebow's potential NFL success on his team's website message board.[87]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Wonderlic
6 ft 2+3⁄4 in
(1.90 m) 		236 lb
(107 kg) 		4.71 s 1.55 s 2.66 s 4.17 s 6.66 s 38+1⁄2 in
(0.98 m)		 9 ft 7 in
(2.92 m)		 22
All results from NFL Combine[88][89]

Denver Broncos

2010

Tebow was drafted by the Denver Broncos 25th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. The Broncos received the pick from the Baltimore Ravens for draft picks in the second, third and fourth rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft. Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels said about his two first-round selections, which included Tebow, "We want players who are tough, smart, have great character, love football and are passionate about coming here and helping the Broncos win a championship. I think both players fit that role, and I think that's something that we're looking for in all of our players. What we're trying to build here is team chemistry and a team that cares about winning and winning a championship, and that's it." He also added specifically about Tebow, "He has all the traits you look for. It's a good pick."[90] Tebow responded in an interview, saying, "My greatest joy in Denver is going to be to repay Coach McDaniels for believing in me." Tebow also said of his critics, "I just have a passion to play football. When you do things different than other people sometimes do them, and you don't settle for just being average, you open yourself up for criticism. But, I'm ready for it. I've learned to live with it. I never just wanted to do things the same way everybody else does."[91]

ESPN's Bill Williamson said, "Josh McDaniels' legacy is Tim Tebow."[90]

When asked how Tebow will be used, McDaniels commented that Tebow probably won't start at QB as a rookie; although, he said he'll "play when he's ready." He also said that there could be some packages custom-made for Tebow right away and indicated that he could initially contribute to Denver's variation of the wildcat formation, called the wild horse formation.[90]

The Denver Post columnist Woody Paige praised the pick, saying "Tim Tremendous may be high risk, but he will be a Mile High Reward...Tebow has become the most celebrated fourth-string rookie quarterback in NFL history, the most controversial quarterback pick by the Broncos since Tommy Maddox was chosen in exactly the same spot in the first round in 1992, the most decorated player and the most determined quarterback, and the most puzzling dichotomy, in the entire draft."[92]

Tebow wore number 15 on his jersey for the Broncos, the same number he wore in college.[93] He set an NFL Draft record for jersey sales.[94] He also had the best-selling jersey in the entire NFL each month since being drafted. The Broncos, as a whole, led the NFL among all teams in jersey sales as well.[95][96]

On July 29, 2010, Tebow signed a five-year contract with the Broncos that had a base value of $11.25 million (he can make as much as $33 million through certain performance-based incentives). The contract also included $8.7 million guaranteed.[97]

On October 17, 2010, Tebow scored his first NFL touchdown, which was a five-yard running play against the New York Jets.[98] On November 14, 2010, Tebow threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Larsen on his first career NFL pass attempt, as part of a 49-29 home victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. He also added a one-yard rushing touchdown in the game.[99] His performance against the Chiefs earned him his first Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honor.[100]

Tebow started his first NFL game on December 19, 2010, which was a 39-23 road loss to the Oakland Raiders.[101] Tebow completed eight of 16 passes for 138 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown pass. He also rushed for 78 yards, 40 of which came on a touchdown run in the first quarter of the game. It was the longest touchdown run for a quarterback in Broncos history and the longest touchdown run in NFL history for a quarterback in his first start. Tebow became just the third quarterback in NFL history to throw for a touchdown of 30 or more yards and run for a touchdown of 40 or more yards in the same game.[102] He finished the game with a 100.5 passer rating, the highest ever in team history for a professional debut.

Tebow's first career victory came in his second start on December 26, 2010. The Broncos defeated the Houston Texans, 24-23, in Denver. Tebow helped rally the Broncos from a 17-0 deficit at halftime, as he finished the game with 308 passing yards and one touchdown pass. He also added a fourth quarter rushing touchdown, which capped the comeback.[103] Tebow received his second Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honor following his performance.[104]

Tebow finished his rookie season playing sparingly in six games as a back-up (primarily on plays involving the wild horse formation, which is Denver's variation of the wildcat formation) before starting the last three games of the Broncos' season. He threw for a total of 654 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 227 yards and six touchdowns. Tebow became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for a touchdown in each of his first three career starts.

2011

Tebow began the 2011 NFL season as the the Denver Broncos' backup quarterback, with Kyle Orton acting as the starter. After a 1–4 start and some poor performances, Orton was replaced by Tebow at halftime during a home game against the San Diego Chargers in the fifth week of the season. Tebow nearly led the Broncos back from a 16-point deficit, as he passed and ran for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Chargers ultimately won the game, 29–24. Shortly afterward, Broncos head coach John Fox announced Tebow would start in the following game on the road against the Miami Dolphins. Tebow and the Broncos struggled in the first three-and-a-half quarters against the Dolphins, but rallied from a 15–0 deficit in the last three minutes to win the game, 18–15, in overtime. Denver became to the first team in NFL history to win a game after being down by at least 15 points with three minutes to play in a game.[105]

On November 6, Tebow rushed for 117 yards, along with passing for 124 yards and two touchdowns, as part of a 38-24 road victory over the Oakland Raiders. It was the first game in his NFL career that Tebow rushed for at least 100 yards. Broncos running back Willis McGahee ran for 163 yards and two touchdowns, making Tebow and McGahee only the fifth quarterback and running back tandem in NFL history to run for at least 100 yards in the same game.[106] The Broncos followed up a road win over division-rival Oakland with another road win over a division rival, the Kansas City Chiefs. Tebow completed two passes on eight attempts for 69 yards and a touchdown. His second completion, a 56-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to Eric Decker, sealed the game for Denver. Tebow became the fifth quarterback since 1980 to win a game after being the sole quarterback on the winning team to complete two or fewer passes.[107] The next week, Tebow was 9-for-20 with 104 yards in a Thursday Night Football home game against the New York Jets. He led a 95-yard, game-winning touchdown drive with less than six minutes to play, and the Broncos trailing, 13-10. On third-and-four, Tebow ran for a 20-yard touchdown with less than one minute remaining. The Broncos won the game, 17-13.[108]

Statistics

Season Team Games Passing Sacks Rushing Fumbles
GP GS W–L[109] Comp Att Pct Yds Y/Att TD INT Rating # Yds Att Yds Avg TD FUM Lost
2010 Denver Broncos 9 3 1–2 41 82 50.0 654 8.0 5 3 82.1 6 26 43 227 5.3 6 1 0

In the media

Tebow appeared on the September 2008 cover of Men's Fitness magazine.

On April 8, 2010, Tebow was announced as the cover athlete for all three game platforms of the video game NCAA Football 11.[110]

Tebow is a spokesperson for Nike, Jockey International and FRS Health Energy.[111][112][113]

Tebow was the first quarterback featured in ESPN's "Year of the Quarterback" series in 2011. The documentary, entitled "Tim Tebow: Everything in Between," followed him from the 2010 Sugar Bowl to the 2010 NFL Draft. It premiered on January 6, 2011.[114] On November 8, 2011 the documentary was released on DVD.

On May 31, 2011, HarperCollins released Through My Eyes, an autobiography that Tebow co-wrote with author Nathan Whitaker.[115] Tebow details his early life growing up in Jacksonville and the Philippines, as well as his college football experiences, in the book.[115] By June 1, 2011, the book had risen to No. 22 on Amazon.com's bestseller list.[115]

Super Bowl Ad

A nationwide controversy surrounded Tebow's decision to appear in an ad funded by the socially conservative organization Focus on the Family that was broadcast during Super Bowl XLIV on CBS.[116][117] There were two 30-second commercials, which included Tebow's personal story as part of an overall pro-life stance. The abortion issue was not specifically mentioned in the ad.[118] Pro-choice groups condemned the ad,[119] while pro-life groups rallied around Tebow.[120]

Awards and honors

College

2006 season

2007 season

 
Tim Tebow in 2007

2008 season

2009 season

Professional

Tebowing

"Tebowing" is a neologism derived from Tebow's propensity for kneeling and praying—even during crucial periods of a football game, such as during the Broncos' improbable overtime victory over the Miami Dolphins on October 23, 2011. The origin of the phrase is credited to fan Jared Kleinstein, who joined friends in posing on one knee with head bowed in prayer against a loose right fist for a picture which was posted to Facebook.[151] The popularity of the picture led Kleinstein and company to set up a website to which hundreds of pictures submitted by users depicting various interpretations of "Tebowing" in various locations.[151]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Richardson, Suzy. "Coaching character". Gainesville Sun. Retrieved 2007-11-10.
  2. ^ "Tim Tebow recruiting profile". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
  3. ^ Person, Joseph (2007-11-10). "Dual threat". The State (newspaper). Archived from the original on 2007-11-11. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
  4. ^ a b "Tebow Becomes NCAA's First 20-20 Player". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2007-12-14. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
  5. ^ "The Philippines Is In His Heart". Filipinas Magazine. July 6, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
  6. ^ a b The Tebow Family Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association
  7. ^ Johnston, Joey (2005-05-12). "A CUT ABOVE". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved 2010-05-04. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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  137. ^ Tebow wins Sullivan Award
  138. ^ Tebow, Parker named SEC Athletes of the Year
  139. ^ Tebow wins ESPY, Florida TImes-Union
  140. ^ Tebow named Disney Spirit Award winner
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Bibliography

  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
 
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Awards
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