Tim Tebow and Kenny Mayne Talk About God, Faith, Religious Values and Eye-Black

The Tim Tebow-Kenny Mayne interview got a lot of pub yesterday because it showcased Tebow's inner comedian, but the most interesting part of the conversation was when Mayne got relatively serious and began to talk about religion with Tebow.

The result was some of the best questions of any Tebow interview I have ever seen, a credit to Mayne. Mayne's comments are in italics; Tebow's responses are in bold:

When Sam Jackson made a "What Would Jesus Twitter" joke about you at the ESPYs, there were groans in the crowd. But when they cut to you, you thought it was funny. Right?

I can see why people could get offended, but I didn't. My faith's out there.

I wonder what Jesus actually would tweet?

"Believe in me."

He'd have a lot of characters to burn still, but at least the content is powerful.

Absolutely. But He already tweeted enough. We just have to look at it.

Do you believe God controls every detail? Or did He set things up perfectly and give the world a spin, and now we're on our own?

The way I figure is if nothing bad ever ­happened, there wouldn't be a need for faith. The Bible says we're tested and made stronger through trials and tribulations. But He's here, helping us out.

What I mean is that there could be a person in the hospital who is going to die of cancer, and down the hall, someone who is going to beat it. I find it hard to believe that God would say, "All right, you, you get to die. And you, you get to live." Do you think that's true?

God has a plan for everything. Some people might say, "Well my plan's not as good as this person's plan." But in God's eyes, it is. Not ­everybody's called upon to do the same thing or to be here on Earth the same amount of time. It's like the Body of Christ. Not everybody's going to be the eye or the mouth. Somebody has to be the foot. I'm not saying that's anything less. In fact, in God's eyes it's the same. You just have to look at what He called on you to do and do it to the best of your ability. You can't question why, because then you won't have the faith you should.

I haven't been to church since having knee surgery. Do you have the authority to absolve me of my sin there?

I don't have any authority to do anything with your sin.

You once wore John 3:16 on your eyeblack, similar to how Reggie Bush has worn 6-1-9 for his area code. What is the significance of that passage to you?

Yeah, I wore that for the national championships. It's the essence of Christianity: "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." God calls on us to do one thing, and that's believe. People try to complicate it, but it's very simple. That's why I wrote it.

What if it had smudged into John 8:15? Could you have quoted that passage?

I know a few verses, but not John 8:15. I'd have to have someone write on a new one.

Note the way Tebow very seriously answers Mayne's joking question about absolving him of his sin of not going to church, or the joking line about "John 8:15." And yet Tebow still manages to be pretty chill about the whole thing. For all the jokes throughout the rest of the interview, I found this exchange fascinating.

Tebow's Targets: Who Gets The Attention?

One of the rare question marks for the Gators coming into the season was the depth at receiver -- and at the top, who would step up to replace Louis Murphy as Tim Tebow's go-to guy?

The Charleston Southern game was revealing:

Riley Cooper was the big hit, with a team-leading 5 catches for 105 yards, including that 68-yard bomb on the first drive. Cooper has gotten a lot of publicity this week.

(The Tebow-Cooper connection reminded me of the Western Carolina blowout in 2006, when Tebow and Cooper were freshmen and got significant playing time. Tebow was 10-of-12 for 200 yards and 2 TDs rushing to go with 2 TDs passing, both to Cooper, who made 3 catches, all for TDs. I was in Gainesville for the game, and it felt like a preview of Tebow's 2007 Heisman season.)

Aaron Hernandez was every bit the key receiver folks had him pegged as -- if Cooper is Tebow's favorite target, Hernandez isn't far behind. He caught 4 passes for 79 yards, including that 28-yard TD catch from tebow.

Deonte Thompson was a non-factor, going catch-free, including a muffed bomb early that mentally seemed to take him out of the game (and make Tebow look elsewhere). The impressive news: Thompson was on the field after the game, replaying the sequence with Tebow -- and making the catches.

David Nelson, who was such a go-to TD-maker late last season, only caught one ball from Tebow, for 4 yards. (David gets an exemption: As long as he's catching clutch TDs in the big games, he can do whatever he wants in early September.)

No catches for Brandon James, who was expected to be part of the "Percy Position" rotation with Jeff Demps (0 receptions) and Chris Rainey (0 receptions).

Omarius Hines was a pleasant surprise -- catching 3 from John Brantley during the extensive mop-up time. He was a non-factor in the spring; it will be interesting to see if he earns his way into reps in "real" game action -- let alone being thrown to by Tebow.

Looking ahead to Troy -- when the first-team offense is expected to play a bit more extensively, using more of the playbook -- expect plenty of passes to Cooper and Hernandez, with Thompson getting another chance to make big plays -- it is fair to expect him to pull one off. Look for Brandon James to see a few passes, after being shut out last week. One other play to look for: The swing pass to Demps circling out of the backfield, where he can ID some blockers, find some seams and just...go.

And, of course, as much as anything, it will be intriguing to see how the pieces all fit together as Tebow pulls the trigger on the "Bonzai" no-huddle schemes. (Probably just enough to scare the bejeezus out of Lane Kiffin.)

Two days 'til Saturday....

Tebow Quote of the Day: Meyer on Eye-Black

"Obviously Tim gets a lot of notoriety and I'm not too worried about what Tim is going to put on there.''

- Urban Meyer, on whether he is concerned about what Tim Tebow will put on his eye-black, riffing on a press-conference question about Terrelle Pryor's "Mike Vick" eye-black on Saturday.

Tebow Turtle Transformed Into Just Turtle

The Tebow turtle statue in Jacksonville is now just a turtle that looks like a football player. The difference: No. 15 was changed to No. 1, to avoid any conflict that Tebow was being commercialized.

There was really no issue:

Upright said she had spoken with the Tebow family before the turtle was painted and got their approval. Since the Turtle Trails project was intended to raise money for the not-for-profit Child Guidance Center, the organizers did not anticipate a problem.

The Turtle Trails group "happily complied." Kenny Mayne had no comment.

Tim Tebow vs. Kenny Mayne: Funnymen

When Tim Tebow does interviews -- either in a press conference setting or maybe a magazine sit-down -- you don't really get a sense of his sense of humor... even if he has one. (You have to believe that he has one, if only to chuckle at the absurdity of the frenzy around him.)

It takes a funny interviewer to bring out Tebow's inner comedian, and Kenny Mayne got the job done in this ESPN the Mag interview (subscribers-only). The PBP's Ben Volin pulled out the best quotes, and I wanted to highlight a couple I found most revealing about Tebow's sense of humor:

Mayne: The lack of privacy your generation faces is unbelievable. Does it ever get unbearable?

Tebow: There are pros and cons. You have a great platform to influence people. But sometimes you’d like to go to dinner or play golf without having people waiting when you get off the course. I just look at it as a pro and realize I have an opportunity and a responsibility to be a good role model for kids and give them someone to look up to. That’s my goal.

KM: So what you’re saying is you can’t run a methamphetamine lab?

TT: That phase was more during my freshman year of high school. I got out of it by junior year.

KM: What’s your opinion on homeschooling, since you went that route?

TT: The methamphetamine route?

KM: Wow. I had no idea you’d be so liberal.

The "that phase" line was pretty good! Here's another exchange:

KM: Did you consider being homeschooled for the University of Florida as well?

TT: It’s only an hour and 15 minutes away. I did think, You know what? I can make the drive every day. It wouldn’t be too bad.

KM: Is there a fear when you’re homeschooled that you won’t turn out like other kids?

TT: There wasn’t for me. I was blessed with four older brothers and sisters and a great mom and dad. But I also never strove to be like the other kids. Too many kids try to fit in instead of believing in something and standing alone. If you do that, other kids will be drawn to you. Being homeschooled also allowed me to push myself in areas I wanted to excel in and develop time-management skills. That helped when I got to college and had to balance tutoring, studying and football.

KM: I feel like you mocked my question with that answer.

TT: I didn’t really want to answer, so I was kind of running in circles around it.

KM: Are you keeping up your grades?

TT: They’re not getting too bad.

KM: Ever have a time when the professor said something, and you replied, “Well my mother says …”?

TT: Like in The Waterboy? “Medulla oblongata.” No, I never really say that.

Subtle question evasion? Check. Pop-culture reference? Check.

Tebow also talks about the famous girl next to him in the picture when you Google "Tim Tebow girlfriend"; his travels abroad and growing up on a farm.

Leave it to Kenny Mayne to produce one of the best interviews with Tim Tebow of the year.

Tebow's Eye-Black: Proverbs 3:5-6

UPDATE: Pat Dooley with key background on Tebow's choice to wear Prov. 3:5-6 on his eye-black -- he was inspired by a fan on the Gator Walk. (Naturally, you can expect Saturday to see 100 fans with signs sporting verses they would like to see him wear. Too cynical?)

ORIGINAL POST:
It isn't unreasonable to wonder what was on Tim Tebow's eye-black this week. Last year, he wore "Phil 4:13" all season long, then switched to "John 3:16" for the national-title game.

Due to Tebow's platform that night, the phrase subsequently vaulted to the most-searched term on Google for the next day.

Tebow himself -- along with his parents -- were profoundly impacted by that convergence of religion and technology. It was symbolic -- and real-time -- of Tebow's platform in college.

The Google/eye-black thing might not have been THE reason that Tebow came back to Florida, but it seems to be the anecdote that Tebow, his family and Urban Meyer have cited the most.

So what verse was featured on Tebow's eye-black versus Charleston Southern? Something new:

"Prov" and "3:5-6" (That would be Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.")



As noted on a Gators message board, might that indicate that Tebow is "going Old Testament" on opponents this year?

Will he rotate verses every week or stick with last week's? It's worth noting that the phrase didn't hit the Top 100 "trends" list on Google. But it proved fodder for this post.

(Also, quite a comparison with Terrelle Pryor, who made news this weekend for wearing eye-black that said "Mike" and "Vick." Not quite the same thing.)

Bonzai! Tebow's New On-Field Catch-Phrase

"I think Tim is good at it."

That's Urban Meyer, asked yesterday why he installed Florida's brand-spanking new hurry-up offense package, code-named "Bonzai" and unveiled on Saturday night.

When fans watched Oklahoma's offense last year -- or even back to its origins, when Northwestern ran it back at the turn of the decade (which was supremely influential on Meyer) -- they probably said: "Why doesn't my team do that?"

I would argue that went double for Florida: With so much returning experience -- particularly Tim Tebow at QB -- there is no reason Florida's mastery of its offense can't lead to a hurry-up offense.

This gibes with a core Urban Meyer philosophy: A successful offense runs a ton of plays; it was a big reason he balked at the new clock rules a year ago -- less time on the clock, less time to produce offensive plays, less opportunities to score.

More Meyer from yesterday: "The up-tempo and the two-minute drill were when we were at our best last week. I think we’re going to go more and more to that." Meyer promises much more, calling it the "tip of the iceberg." More like "tip of the spear."

Here was Tebow from yesterday's press conference, talking about the no-huddle:

I think it worked well. It's tough for a defense to get used to, especially when they don't know it's coming. It's something we've practiced, feel comfortable with and like to play. It gives us a different style to go play in... It's worked well whenever we used it in a game... I think our guys are getting used to it. We have different calls for it but "Bonzai" could be one of them. Bonzai is not the play, but it's to get them going.

Even if it's just a rallying cry, rather than the name of the play (or set of plays), I love the idea of Tebow screaming "Bonzai!" after a play is whistled dead, with the rest of the offense rushing up to the line to get a play off.

Last word to WR coach Billy Gonzalez: "It’s our offense, it’s what we do. It’s not something we’re just fiddling around with."

Tebow Quote of the Day: How He's Feeling

"I feel good. I didn't take too many hits on Saturday. It's nice. I think it was the coaches' goal not to have me get hit much. It's good to stay away from contact, stay fresh and get ready for games in the future."

-- Tim Tebow on how he's feeling, a good complement to the earlier post comparing Tebow's experience on Saturday to Sam Bradford's.

Tebow and Bradford: A Cautionary Tale

Is there a Tebow lesson to be learned from what happened this weekend to Sam Bradford?

Sort of.

First: Injuries happen. Said Tebow of Bradford: ""I would try to play through anything," but "if you can't play, you can't play." That is obviously a nightmare scenario for Tebow fans -- if not Florida's national-title chances (I'll contend that Florida is so good they could run the table with Brantley; they're just that much better with Tebow.)

Second: One loss. That's all it takes for a national-title contender to lose their shot. You could argue that Oklahoma is in no worse of a position than Florida was after losing at home to Ole Miss a year ago, but: (a) that loss was way more fluky than Oklahoma's; (b) Florida lost to a near-BCS-bowl-quality team; BYU is a non-BCS team (although that's unfair, as BYU is very very good); (c) Florida could still rally to win the SEC title; Oklahoma ain't beating Texas. Besides: There will be at least two unbeaten teams when the season is over -- if your team ain't one of 'em, you've got no shot.

Florida was in no danger of losing last week -- they won't be next week. They may not be for a few weeks, if at all. But Oklahoma's loss -- and Sam Bradford's injury -- were a cautionary tale.

Mythic Tebow: Pushing Boomer Hornbeck

Another entry for "Mythic Tebow": In pre-game warm-ups, Tebow was pushing wheelchair-bound Boomer Hornbeck -- a 7-year-old with cerebral palsy -- around the field.

This was not a stunt. This was not for publicity. This was not Tebow pushing -- no pun intended, honest -- any sort of agenda. This is simply community service.

Or, as Urban Meyer put it: "Typical Tim" (which I am going to adopt as a shorthand for this sort of thing.

Said Tebow: "It was so cool to see the look on Boomer’s face. It was a special moment for him. He'll remember it and that's what's meaningful."

When I say that even the worst sentiments about Tebow are closer to "begrudging respect" than "hate" (in all but the most extremist cases), this is precisely why:

Who can begrudge Tebow pushing a 7-year-old with cerebral palsy around the field during pre-game warm-ups? How can you not respect Tebow's interest in brightening this kid's life?

Only the most hopelessly cynical -- and it probably devolves past cynicism into some kind of deep self-loathing -- can look at that and find a problem with it.

It was Tebow's favorite highlight of the game -- and mine, too.

Tebow Season-Opener in Review: Warm-Up

Tim Tebow's season-opener -- his final season-opener for Florida -- felt more like an exhibition game, thanks to the early exit. Let's review:

Passing: 15 pass attempts, 10 completions.
188 yards (12.5 yards-per-attempt)
1 TD (to Aaron Hernandez), 0 INT
Rushing: 2 carries, 1 yard, 1 TD.

He was on the field for a grand total of 25 plays and a little less than 7 minutes.

Loved that he showed the arm strength right off the bat -- take that, NFL scouts -- with that 68-yard bomb to Riley Cooper (Tebow's favorite target of the night). He had a chance at another -- and another passing TD -- but Deonte Thompson dropped a sure catch.

He also earned a rushing TD -- "20/20" anyone? -- with that 1-yard push early in the 2nd quarter. Presumably, he would have gotten an extra series if not for Brandon James' kickoff return for a TD -- who won't take that?

The dismantling of Charleston Southern gave this the feel of an NFL preseason game -- the stars were done before the 1st half was over.

It was a mere flash of Tebow's command of the offense -- and his skill-set throwing short, deep and on consecutive plays, as well as his abilities inside the 5-yard-line.

Presumably, we will see a little bit more next week versus Troy before we see something akin to "Tebow Unleashed" versus Tennessee.

All in all, not much more you could ask from Tebow in a cupcake of a game. Let's give Tebow the last word, and I think his professionalized account summarizes that the game was like a minor business trip, rather than any sort of emotional win:

"The team played well, everyone played hard and we executed pretty well. It wasn’t perfect and
we need to improve, but we’re always going to be looking to improve. Guys stepped up and
made plays so it was a good day."

Tebow Tailgate: Why Fans Love Tebow

Here is your must-read of the day -- and a perfect lead-up to tomorrow's season opener: The Palm Beach Post's Christine Evans (a feature writer, not usual PBP Gators beat writer and friend-of-Teblog Ben Volin) with a terrific take: It's way more than Tebow's football skills.

Money quote from Evans:

It is impossible to separate Tebow-the-player - a two-time national champion, the only sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy and, now, the senior quarterback upon whom all great Gator things depend - from Tebow-the-person. It just can't be done.

Then Evans digs into Tebow's faith, and how that is intrinsically tied to who Tebow is -- and how fans feel about him. More Evans:

Hey, is this kid a preacher or a ball player? The answer, of course, is he's a little bit - no, a lot - of both. When people ask him to list his priorities, which they often do, Tebow ranks them thusly: faith, family, academics, football, social life. At least, his fans note, football rates ahead of dating.

Then Evans does something that I haven't seen any other writer do: She asks a couple of Jewish people about how they feel about Tebow's very open religious life. Tennessee hoops coach Bruce Pearl:

I'm all for what Tim Tebow is doing. I think the message is, 'Tim, thank you as a father and thank you as a coach, and I'll try to explain to my younger children how much we are alike in our love of God.'

And the head of Florida's campus Hillel -- an organization for Jewish students:

He's so genuine that they know he's not doing this for TV or anything. And for many Jewish students, they know Tebow believes in Jesus, but it becomes an easy transition in their minds to a belief in God. Or whatever it is they happen to believe in.

This actually gibes with my feeling about it, and the analysis I have offered here: Tebow doesn't impose his evangelical Christianity on folks who don't want to hear it, and -- through his wider (and secular) media platforms, he is much more likely to talk about community service, or keeping your life in perspective relative to suffering around the world.

That is why I regularly take issue with the over-simplified notion that because Tebow is an evangelical Christian -- and because he does things like put Bible verses on his eye-black or allow the media to come with him on visits to prisons -- he is about imposing his beliefs on everyone.

This is hardly an unweighty topic for a Friday afternoon before a football Saturday, but this was a nuanced feature that approached Tebow from a uniqe angle. Worth your read between now and kickoff.

But, make no mistake: Who's ready for Saturday night?

Tebow Tailgate: Tebow on the NFL Prep

A subplot throughout the preseason -- and, undoubtedly, throughout the regular season -- is how Tebow is "progressing" toward an NFL future. Personally, I think it's overblown; he will learn more about being an NFL QB in the month after the season than in the four months OF the season. The NFL simply isn't his focus -- that won't stop the REST of us from focusing on it, of course.

Anyway, as we head into the season opener, here is an essential quote from Tebow about how the NFL might be lingering out there somewhere, but it isn't his focus, it isn't the reason he came back, it's not what Loefler has been working on and it won't impact the way he plays this season:

"I think as far as us working, trying to get better, tweaking things and trying to improve things, absolutely we're doing that. We've done that every year. But this year, as much or more than any other year, are we trying to get better and improve on my weaknesses and my strengths? Are we changing, improving and working on things? Yes we are. But is it for the NFL? No."

Hat-tip to the St. Pete Times' Antonya English for the post tackling this topic.

Tebow Tailgate: Tebow Across The Eras (via Clay Travis)

Can't sit still waiting for tomorrow night? Dig into this terrific column by Fanhouse's Clay Travis (see? I'm not a Fanhouse hater) that intriguingly inserts Tebow into college football throughout the historical decades. Think "Quantum Leap" meets "College GameDay."

My essential takeaway from Travis' point: Tim Tebow's success is a product of his era -- a confluence of offensive innovation, the right coach (and right surrounding talent) and, to me the most important thing, the proliferation of media platforms that ensure that Tebow coverage is at saturation level.

Anyway, a great think piece by Travis, who is a huge Tennessee fan (his new book is a must-read and you can get it here), but represents the wing of non-Florida fans (even Florida rivals) who recognize Tebow's place in history -- I actually came up with "begrudging respect" to describe these folks, because I was inspired by Clay.

Tebow Quote of the Day: Through the Tunnel

"It’s special. I think the most memorable part of it for me isn’t running out. I’m always one of the last ones to run out, I see everybody in front of me running out and then I hear the crowd and then I come jogging out. I think that’s what’s most special – watching the whole team run out and being behind them and hearing the crowd once they see them run out and then just this roar, that’s the best part for me. It’s really cool."

-- Tim Tebow, on running out through the tunnel at The Swamp. Seems appropriate for tomorrow's home opener, the final home opener of Tebow's Florida career (and the best quote from his press conference on Monday -- h/t PBP's Ben Volin for the compilation).

Tebow Remainders: Links from Thursday

Random Tebow-related links from throughout the day (my commentary below each).

*Tebow taking snaps under center, to improve his NFL stock (Washington Post)

You know how I feel about this: Tebow taking even as many as a half-dozen "under-center" snaps in game situations -- only to hand the ball off to Moody or another I-formation RB -- won't prove anything to NFL scouts. That will come during pre-draft workouts and evaluations. He will have to work on it, but it is nothing that CAN'T be honed. And not necessary to showcase until then.

*Tim Tebow on a mission (Miami Herald)

Mostly your standard "Tebow/Gators going for history" take. Nothing you haven't seen or read before, but it's always fun to reinforce the storyline. For top-notch Herald coverage of Tebow and the Gators, your best bet remains Jo Goodman, via beat reporting and his Gator Clause blog.

More Wrong Tebow Backlash/"Hater" Myth

I do not understand the lead paragraphs of this Fanhouse column about Tim Tebow from David Whitley:

T-minus three days until the most beloved and hated player in college football history begins his final act.

It's easy to understand the love for Tim Tebow. But why so much hate?

I'm not sure Tebow is the most beloved player in college football history -- or anyone who has tried to argue that. The most talked-about? Perhaps.

I am definitely sure Tebow is not the "most...hated" player in college football history.

Hunh? Most hated? "Why so much hate?" I follow the Tebow phenomenon as closely as anyone, and I would not only say that "hate" is entirely the wrong word, but "dislike" is even too strong.

Whitley's "evidence?" An anonymously posted "Yahoo Answers" description of Tebow, which is like heading into a blog's comments section and using that to "prove"... well, anything.

In fact, if you read the columnists, bloggers and message-board posters, the overriding sentiment is something akin to "begrudging respect."

Do fans think he is overexposed? Probably. Are they sick of hearing about how great he is? Probably. But they will usually admit that he has earned it. And that they would be thrilled if he played for their team. Again: Begrudging respect.

More contrived lunacy from Whitley:

What we have here is a case of Tebow Derangement Syndrome, or TDS. It largely springs from Tebow's Christian faith.

Again, I am as attuned to Tebow backlash (or people claiming there's a "backlash") as anyone, particularly about his demonstrative displays of his religious values.

In fact, the opposite is true: Yes, Tebow wears the "Phil 4:13" or "John 3:16" eye-black, but more often than not, his discussion of his faith is restrained to audiences that want to hear about it.

More likely, he is apt to talk about community service more generally. Or about putting your faith or your family ahead of football. That's hardly in-your-face proselytizing.

Whitley also mentions that people are suffering "burnout" because they keep seeing Tebow on magazine covers or TV.

Actually, he's on TV and magazine covers precisely because people want to see him. The same is true of Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford.

Most fans are willing to concede: When you're talking about the best player in the country coming back to play for the best team in the country, media attention follows.

Whitley closes with more absurdity:

Instead he raises money for orphans, doesn't sleep around, carries a 3.7 GPA and tries to help convicts go straight.

I can see why people hate him.

Actually, that's exactly why there ISN'T a backlash. Why there isn't a noticeable level of "hate." Tebow is admired -- either explicitly or begrudgingly.

This notion of "hate" -- this notion of "backlash" -- is a myth, a straw man propped up by sports columnists awkwardly trying to be contrarian.

Tebow Quote of the Day: Alligator Army

"Looking at the final season of Tebow's college career, those of us who attended Florida or are students are attached to him as more than just our quarterback. When Tebow plays or when his service projects are publicized, we're not a party school or the 47th school in the country. We don't have to worry about budget cuts or the skyrocketing cost of living in Gainesville. All that matters is that we have the best damn college football player of the last 30 years."

-- mimintampa of the essential Florida blog Alligator Army, on not just Tebow as a key component of Florida's pursuit of "Pasadena," but the pride Tebow brings his fans.

The 2009 Season in Tebow: Expectations

If I could use one word to describe Tim Tebow on the football field in 2009 -- as well as the entire Florida team -- it would be this:

Expectations.

There is no margin for error: Win the national title, or the season is a failure.

Those are the highest stakes possible. And, listening to Tebow (or Spikes or Meyer) throughout the past 8 months, you get the sense that they would want it no other way.

Sports immortality -- something like, say, "Greatest College Football Player Ever" -- is not handed out easily. It must be earned, through a gauntlet.

There is no greater gauntlet than "If you don't win a title," in Florida's case, that probably means losing a single game, "your season is a failure and your career will be convincingly diminished."

Look no further than Matt Leinart and USC in 2005: Failures. (Or, on the flip side, what beating Leinart and the Trojans in '05 did for Vince Young and Texas: Immortality.)

Yes, the team has to win the SEC East, then the SEC championship game. Yes, the team then has to beat another juggernaut -- most likely, a phenomenal (and motivated) Texas team that will have fans shouting "2005!" all over again.

But Tebow and Co. are battling their own potential -- to be the best, the greatest, the "all-time."

That will take care of itself, as long as Tebow and Co. take care of their business.

Florida fans -- and fans across the country -- expect nothing less.

Tim Tebow Leads HeismanPundit.com Poll

The 2009 Heisman race is as compelling as it has ever been, featuring two former winners (Tebow and Bradford) and a third guy (McCoy) who could be considered this year's favorite.

HeismanPundit.com is the leading source for Heisman handicapping and tracking, and they just put out their preseason poll:

Tim Tebow is the preseason favorite, with 7 1st-place votes from the 13-member panel. Colt McCoy is in 2nd (5 1st-place votes). Sam Bradford is 3rd (1 1st-place vote).

We all knew about the Big Three. So who is running 4th? Cal RB Jahvid Best, then Jevan Snead a distant 5th.

The Heisman race begins Saturday, although there will be key indicators: Presumably, if any of the Big Three lose, their chances get nicked (unless all three lose).

McCoy and Bradford will probably be determined by whichever team wins the Texas-Oklahoma game, while Tebow should be a steady Top 2 throughout the season.

Tebow will need some kind of signature performance late -- or absurd individual stats -- to break a virtual tie with the McCoy-Bradford survivor.

Then again, Tebow had a signature performance against Alabama in the SEC title game a year ago, earning him more 1st-place votes than any other Heisman contender.

The Midwest and Southwest bias against Tebow resulted in a 3rd-place finish.

The upshot: The horserace will be fun to follow, but it will be impossible to pass any legitimate judgments until after Halloween.

That said: Sites like HeismanPundit.com track voter momentum, which can be a powerful factor if all other things are equal.

Today: Time For YOUR Tebow Analysis

I have spent the past 7 weeks charging through all things Tebow, offering my own analysis and building on the most interesting Tebow talk that is out there. Now, the Wednesday before the season opener feels like a great moment to get YOUR take on Tebow's upcoming season.

*What are your expectations?
*What are you most looking forward to?
*What is your best-case scenario? What do you fear?
*What Tebow storylines will you most be keeping an eye on?

Use the comments to weigh in or shoot me an email -- I will be happy to publish them. Looking forward to hearing what you have to say!

Tebow Quote of the Day: Pete Carroll

"Look, I think Tim Tebow is fabulous, but it seems like just yesterday we were having exactly the same discussion about Matt Leinart and along comes Texas and Vince Young. It can all change in the blink of an eye, so I think we have to let it all play out before we evaluate careers.

-- USC coach Pete Carroll, on the "Is-Tebow-Best-Ever?" talk, which -- agreed -- probably should* be tabled until the season is over and all these "IF he wins another title..." or "IF he goes undefeated..." or "IF he finishes as a Heisman finalist..." things become "DID he..."

The quote came from a Washington Times piece today on "Is Tebow the best ever?" -- *accept it: he is in the conversation, in real-time, and that makes it irresistible to talk about. (The piece leads with Kirk Herbstreit's great "Roy Hobbs" quote about his first experience with Tebowmania, on Tebow's 4th-and-2 vs. LSU at The Swamp in 2006.)

NFL Watch: Tim Tebow vs. Steve Young,And Why Urban Is Right: Coaching Matters

What is the most important element to Tim Tebow's NFL success? His passing skills? Perhaps. His willingness to work hard? Probably. But if the lesson of Steve Young is any indication -- per yesterday's LA Times story comparing Tebow to Young -- the answer is: Coaching.

Get past the superficial comparisons (Left-handed! Scrambler! Religious!) and columnist Chris Dufresne offers terrific historical context, about Young's USFL passes "fluttering" (now THAT is a fair comparison) and running around behind a woeful LA Express O-line.

Most folks remember Steve Young dominating with the 49ers; few consider how bad he seemed in his first two NFL seasons (1985-1986), on the Buccaneers, who drafted him 1st overall in a 1984 USFL supplemental draft.

Dufresne makes the same crucial point about Young's NFL future that Urban Meyer makes about Tebow's: Young didn't become great until he played for a great coach who understood how to unleash him. Meyer (most recently in that GQ article) says the same thing about Tebow.

Meyer's money quote, from the GQ profile (bold-faced emphasis mine):

"Well, he certainly doesn't have the skill to play quarterback in some franchises. 'Cause they're not very good. He's certainly got the skill to play for the New England Patriots. Their head coach is a very, very dear friend of mine."(Indeed, Bill Belichick, who runs an offense similar to Meyer's, has said, "It's going to be very interesting to see what happens when Tebow comes into this league."...)

Meyer seems to relax into his line of thought. "I visit NFL teams every year. There's certain ones I won't visit, because I don't care. I watch 'em play. There are other ones that are at the highest level, they win Super Bowls. Man, they're doin' stuff. Those other ones, I won't walk across the street. Because there's just no creativity. They draft people that maybe are of questionable character. They draft people who aren't winners. But they run fast. So can Tim play quarterback? Sure. Just like, Can Matt Stafford [the 2009 number one draft pick, who went to the 0-16 Lions] play quarterback? Absolutely. I'm still convinced that Alex Smith can be a great quarterback. But can they play quarterback on really bad teams that haven't drafted well? No."

That is at the heart of my Tebow-to-Pats draft theory: Why Tebow could be to Bill Belichick what Young was to Bill Walsh. (The analogy even extends that, in a way, Brady is Belichick's Montana, with Tebow as the Young-next-evolution QB in Belichick's system.)

Dufresne interviews Young, who points out that the biggest difference between college and NFL QBs is pure passing skills: Timing, touch, velocity (and a willingness to work at it).

Young: "Passing in the NFL is delivering the ball at the right time in the right place. If you can't do that, you'll find your way out of the league. To me, that's the only issue. Everything else is comical to me. 'OK, what don't you see?'"

Beyond the argument that Tebow has already displayed those skills, if nothing else there is every reason to believe that Tebow will work harder than anyone to develop his physical tools to include those key NFL-necessary elements.

One of Tebow's leading characteristics is is Peyton-like compulsion to study film and work on his game. Tebow won't lack for effort and discipline to work at being a great NFL QB; to Meyer's point, what Tebow can't control is the level of coaching he will get.

If you want to see Tebow succeed in the NFL, root for him to get drafted by the Patriots. If you want to see him fail, root for him to get drafted by, say, Steve Young's old team, the 49ers.

Dufresne takes a novel approach, and his face-to-face sit-down with both Tebow (in LA for the ESPYs) and Young helps to round out the historical perspective Dufresne offers to link them together. It is a compelling combination and totally worth your time to read.

I walk away not sure that Young is a precise analogue -- I still nudge towards Allen Barra's comp of Tebow to Donovan McNabb -- but there are elements of the Tebow-Young comparison that ring so true, particularly this:

Coaching matters.

Steve Young is not a Hall of Famer -- you likely never remember him as anything but a great BYU QB who became a good lawyer -- if he stays on the Buccaneers and never makes it to San Francisco and the genius of Bill Walsh.

(h/t: With Leather, whose post asks "Will Tebow suck in the NFL?" The short answer: Depends on which coach he plays for.)

Tebow on His Game Day Enthusiasm

Via Orlando Sentinel's Jeremy Fowler:

Usually that’s what people think I’m always like. I’m really not though. I don’t, usually you won’t talk to the team that much. I won’t do a lot of things. It’s not really like I think about this is my time to do it. It’s just that’s kind of just what happens.

I’ll just kind of lose it or get excited or whatever you want to call it. It’s not like I think about it or plan it like I need to get excited here or pumping up the crowd here. That’s just my nature. I get so jacked up or excited or what not, it’s more of a feel thing to tell you the truth. I have to do this, it’s like I’m going to explode if I don’t.

The enthusiasm is not contrived, nor is it excessive. It just is who he is.

Tim Tebow on Monday of Game Week

"It's nice to be Monday of game week..." -- Tim Tebow, from yesterday's press conference.

On game strategy: "I don't think you'll be able to notice anything different. 10 percent will be different... Short yardage, play-action, handing to tailback. But it's minimal; those are packages."

On this being his final season: "Definitely thought about it a lot, that's for sure. It's exciting. I've got one more season. 7 more opportunities to run out of that tunnel... I'm going to make it special."

On his mindset: "Definitely leave everything out there."