I remember when we got him to commit... all of Gator Nation knew we got a great one, and we all celebrated for what was to come. He then became a Gator legend.
I remember watching him play in a televised HS game in the fall of 2005..thought to myself..Meyer has to get him, he will fit in perfectly....then when he announced his commitment, I was in my car coming home listening to him commit to the Gators..people in surrounding cars must have thought I was crazy as I celebrated in my car..I knew he would lead us to greatness..and he did..
Ironically... I was visiting my sister in Tampa, lol. And her young son looked a bit like Tebow too. But what was even more interesting was my brother-in-law's reaction. He's an FSU grad and he didn't even know one thing about him... thinking he's just another overrated guy.
One of the greatest college players of all time. I remember how he labored between Alabama and Florida. I can’t imagine where this program would be (Vanderbilt) had he not committed. All of the stars - Harvin et al. Came to play for us under his regime. He did not take a play off and was fearless. One HS game he payed with a broken leg. Huge difference between him and Richardson. Richardson looked out for him and his family, and I don’t blame him. He could have been as impactful if not more than Tebow or Newton but he played in third gear most of the time.
Has anyone actually been inside the Hall of Fame in Atlanta? Is it worth a trip? I may consider going once they get Tebow officially inducted.
IRVING, Texas - Former University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation (NFF) announced on Monday. He becomes the 13th overall Gator and the 10th Florida player to enter College Football Hall of Fame. Since 2006, UF has had seven inductees, the most by an SEC school. A consensus First Team All-American in 2007, Tebow claimed the 2007 Heisman Trophy, repeating as a Heisman finalist in 2008 and 2009. He became only the second player in college football annals to repeat as the Maxwell Award winner (2007 and 2008), and he was awarded the 2007 Davey O'Brien Award. Tebow led Florida to two BCS National Championships, earning MVP honors following the 2009 title game, and he set five NCAA records during his career, helping the Gators rank in the top three in the final AP Polls in three of his four years. Florida went 48-7 during Tebow's time in Gainesville, and the Gators became the first FBS team to record back-to-back 13-win seasons (2008-09). The Gators appeared in four consecutive bowl games during Tebow's time in Gainesville, including victories at the 2007 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game, the 2009 FedEx BCS National Championship Game, and the 2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl. A three-time SEC Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-SEC selection (2007-09), Tebow led the Gators to the SEC title in 2006 and 2008 (MVP of 2008 game) and three SEC East titles (2006, 2008-09). He made the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2006 and was named the 2007 Roy Kramer SEC Male Athlete of the Year. He set 14 conference records during his career and his 48-7 career record made him part of the winningest senior class in SEC history. The two-time team captain set 28 school records during his career and led UF during a school-record 22-game winning streak (2007-09). He threw for 9,285 yards and 88 touchdowns while also rushing for 2,947 yards and 55 touchdowns in his career. He was the first player in NCAA history to rush and pass for at least 20 touchdowns in a season. A member of the 2009 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, Tebow claimed NFF William V. Campbell Trophy, and he becomes the fourth Campbell honoree to enter the Hall. The first player to be named Academic All-America of the Year for University Division Football in two consecutive years, he won an NCAA Top VIII Award and was a three-time Academic All-American and SEC Academic Honor Roll selection. For his community work in college, he was awarded the 2008 Wuerffel Trophy and the 2008 Disney Wide World of Sports Spirit Award. He was added to the Florida Football Ring of Honor in 2018 and inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame in 2020. He is included in the University of Florida Hall of Fame Bronze Statues on the west side of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium along with College Football Hall of Fame inductees Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel. Dratted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft by Denver, he helped the Broncos to a playoff win during the 2011 season, and he played for the Jets in 2012. He played minor league baseball for the New York Mets from 2016-21. Currently residing in Jacksonville, Florida, Tebow works as a philanthropist, motivational speaker, author, film producer and broadcaster with ESPN and SEC Network. His charitable work and the Tim Tebow Foundation focuses on special needs ministries, orphan care and prevention, children with profound medical needs and anti-human trafficking. The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5, 2023, at the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas. The inductees will also be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions with NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes during the fall. Florida's College Football Hall of Fame Members Players Position Years at UF Induction Year Dale Van Sickel E 1927-29 1975 Steve Spurrier QB 1964-66 1986 Jack Youngblood DE 1968-70 1992 Emmitt Smith RB 1987-89 2006 Wilber Marshall LB 1980-83 2008 Carlos Alvarez WR 1967-71 2011 Danny Wuerffel QB 1993-96 2013 Wes Chandler WR 1974-77 2015 Lomas Brown OT 1981-84 2020 Tim Tebow QB 2006-09 2023 Coaches Years at UF Induction Year Charles Bachman 1928-32 1978 Ray Graves 1960-69 1990 Doug Dickey 1970-78 2003 Steve Spurrier 1990-2001 2017
Sad but I think this is somewhat inevitable with the disparity in admission standards. Most of my Gator buddies children are going to Florida state (or UCF, USF) because they can’t get into UF. My own nephew got waitlisted by UF, but was admitted immediately as an honors student at Fsux and they set him up to live in an honors dorm and gave him a partial academic scholarship.
One of the most amazing stats about Tebow is that he has more rushing touchdowns than Herschel and one fewer passing touchdowns than Peyton Manning.
THIS is what I keep talking about. Tebow could have signed a pro contract after his junior year but he put his teammates and school first. His parents weren't wealthy. Tim had every reason to go for the big bucks. He came back for his senior year because he loved his school and his teammates. Now he's in the college football Hall Of Fame. Anthony Richardson? Not so much and in a few years...... Anthony who?
