One Year Later: Tebow vs. the Draft

Remember the intrigue last year on the day of the first round of the NFL Draft? It was led by this simple question: Where is Tim Tebow going?

There were plenty of contenders: Bills? Jaguars? Patriots? My pick was the Vikings. It ended up being the Broncos, and in hindsight it all seemed so obvious.

A year later, it is clear that Tebow can be a starting QB in the NFL -- he proved that as a rookie, against all the nay-sayers.

The irony is that if the Bills had taken Tebow last year instead of rookie non-factor CJ Spiller, they would be entering the 2011 season with a talented QB with a year of starts under his belt and probably a similar draft slot, where they could have grabbed any number of super-talents: Von Miller, Marcell Dareus. Even a game-breaker like AJ Green.

The Jaguars could have used the instant injection of fan enthusiasm Tebow brought to Denver.

And as the rumors swirl that they are ready to use the No. 12 overall pick on Jake Locker, the Vikings could have had Tebow in the 20s a year ago, then used the No. 12 pick on their other needs, knowing they were set at QB (even as Tebow sat behind Brett Favre for his rookie year). Locker feels like "Tebow Lite." At best, Locker is nothing better than a year behind where Tebow would have been now had he gone to Minnesota.

But mostly, I remember this day a year ago for the excitement I and a lot of you felt when Tebow was drafted in the 1st round, just like we all had insisted for years -- Tebow is a first-round NFL talent -- and directly in the face of the draftnik haters who insisted he could NEVER be a first-rounder.

There was a satisfaction there that I think is worth remembering, no matter what happened in the year since.

-- Dan

Happy Easter from Tim Tebow

From Tim Tebow's Twitter feed this morning:

It's time to celebrate the greatest victory of all... He is risen! Have a wonderful Easter everyone! 1 Peter 1:3

Happy Easter to all.

Tebow Talks to Woody Paige

Denver Post columnist (and Tebow-backer from Draft Day 2010) Woody Paige did a Q&A with Tim Tebow that was published today. The most interesting answer came after Paige asked Tebow for his strengths and weaknesses:

"I'd say the strength I'd look at is it's still football, and I still have the ability to play quarterback, run around, make things happen, improvise, and it wasn't too fast for me. It felt the same as high school and college. It wasn't anything like "Oh, shoot, this is the NFL, this is hard. I can't do this." If anything, by playing, it gave me that much more confidence because I thought, "Wow, I can really play at a high level." I'd done it successfully before, and these were the same guys I had been doing it against in college.

"My biggest weakness was the timing of certain plays. For instance, I had two "go" routes against San Diego, one on the left to (Brandon) Lloyd, one on the right to (Jabar) Gaffney, and on the first I was too late with the play-action, and Brandon already got out of his break and was too close to the sidelines. So we had a 15-yard route for a first down, but I didn't make the throw. I had the same play on the other side, and my timing wasn't there. It wasn't because of my arm strength, delivery or lack of understanding of the plays, but a lack of reps. I also found out that while I can use my athletic ability to scramble, I can't take too many hits. We were doing whatever we could to win because they were two crazy games, but it's not good to play too recklessly."

Really like the level of nuance Tebow applies to his weaknesses, remembering precisely what he did wrong and why it went wrong. (Hear that, Coach Fox? MORE REPS.)

See the whole interview here.

Tebow Nearly Went to Alabama

"My whole high school career, I thought I was going to Alabama because Urban wasn’t at Florida at that time, and they had Coach Shula — I loved him, I respected him as family, I loved the passion Alabama fans had for the game. That was something, you watch me play, I love it, I’m passionate about it, and seeing those fans, I loved it, I was in to it. And they had great players and I had become friends with a lot of their players, so most of my high school career I honestly thought I was going to Alabama."

See the rest of his radio interview (via Sports Radio Interviews) through the fine folks at Alligator Army.

Tim Tebow: The Statue

I think it's kind of understated and awesome. What do you think?

Tebow's Jockey Ad Releases

"Man, you gotta feel this shirt."

That's the kicker from Tim Tebow's new TV ad for Jockey -- no, not briefs... undershirts (which, frankly, I burn through constantly and am always looking for quality ones).

So check it out in the link above, and expect the obligatory torrent of reaction to it throughout sports media.

(Meanwhile, Tebow was routed by Jamaal Charles in the first round of the Madden 12 cover bracket, based on fan vote, which was jaw-dropping for me. Next year!)

-- Dan

Tebow Getting Crushed in EA Vote

In the new public bracket-style vote to decide the cover player for Madden 12, Tim Tebow is getting obliterated in the first round by Jamaal Charles. After more than 300,000 votes, Charles has 65 percent of the vote. It's a very very tough hill to climb. Vote here.

FTU Q&A with Tim Tebow

"If I believe in everything and feel it’s right, I wouldn’t mind it. But I have my priorities in a certain order. I just don’t have the time right now to do a lot of commercials and ads. If we can find time, yeah, it’d be great to help a company you believe in."

-- Tim Tebow, in a wide-ranging interview with the Florida Times-Union covering everything from his rookie season to the Broncos' coaching change to his book to his golf tournament to his bachelorhood to the above quote, related to his endorsement opportunities. The whole thing is worth a read. (Per the quotes about the book, wow, would I like to have explored writing that with him. I was recently looking back over the Teblog archive, and it could have been really interesting.)

Apologies for the Light Posting

Friends: Sincerest apologies for the light posting the past month.

On the one hand, there hasn't been a ton of Tebow news to cover. (On the other hand, that's no excuse!)

On the other other hand, I have been immersed in my new company, Quickish, which launched exactly one month ago, to help people -- for starters, sports fans -- keep up quickly with the big things that are happening.

It has been going great, but it has dominated my time, as you might imagine.

And so a few small favors to ask:

*Check out Quickish for yourself! (And feel free to visit often, because it changes constantly.)

*If you like it, please tell your friends! You can do it through Facebook (you can "like" the Quickish page or just write a message about it), through Twitter, through email or through good ol' word-of-mouth. Lots of friends telling friends is the No. 1 best way for Quickish to grow.

*Please bear with me while I continue guiding the company through its early stages. I promise I haven't given up on TimTeblog -- and I hope you won't give up on me!

Hugest thanks for your support for Quickish and patience with my attention elsewhere.

GBGB.

-- Dan

Tebow Helps Homeless Man Win Fantasy Prize

Did you hear about the guy who finished first overall among the millions of players in ESPN.com's fantasy football game this year?

(a) He's homeless.

(b) He clinched the title by picking up a QB for the final week of the fantasy season who ended up having a monster game -- Tim Tebow.

Yes, really: Tim Tebow helped a homeless guy win the national fantasy football championship.

Broncos Tebow: Fox's Choice

Here's how I choose to take the news that John Fox isn't ready to immediately declare Tim Tebow his starting QB in Denver and to open it to whichever QB earns it:

Bring it on.

Nothing will bring out the best in Tebow like a competition, particularly one based on meritocracy: Who's going to earn it? Who will help the team most? Who wants it more?

If it's about working hardest? If it's about helping the team most? If it's about desire and will?

Tebow will be the starting QB for the Broncos next fall.

Maybe they should let Tebow handle the mediation between the players' union and the owners, so we can HAVE a "next fall."

*****

If you have a minute, please check out my new company, Quickish. In about 30 seconds, you can catch up on all the best analysis of the biggest topics in sports today. (And if you like it, please tell your friends. Need all the help we can get in raising awareness.)

-- D.S.

Broncos Tebow: John Fox New HC

New Broncos coach John Fox is going to love Tim Tebow, because no player in the NFL works harder or is more dedicated to the team or to doing whatever it takes to win.

Tim Tebow will be better simply because Fox is going to improve the Broncos' defense, potentially dramatically -- given how porous they were last season, that's not a bold statement.

But with a stout(er) D, the pressure on Tebow to produce a Brady-like 30+ ppg is totally mitigated; a few TD drives per game should do it.

As with McDaniels, let's hope Fox brings in an offensive coordinator with the imagination to deploy Tebow in more than just a traditional pro-style set.

Sorry things have been slow here this week -- the launch of my new company, Quickish, has been overwhelming (in a good way!)

Please check it out -- it's not about Tebow (although he makes some appearances!), but it is about helping you keep up quickly with the biggest things that are happening in sports.

And if you are inclined, please tell your friends, family, co-workers, whoever all about it. You can like the Facebook page -- or just tell them: Quickish.com. Thanks!

-- Dan

Huge Announcement: Quickish.com

Friends of TimTeblog:

Today, my new company, Quickish, publicly launched. If you are a sports fan -- and I think it's safe to assume that's most of you -- I think you'll like it. Just go to quickish.com.

Quickish offers real-time news recommendations, to help you keep up with the biggest topics. Our editors are looking all over the place -- news sites, Twitter, TV, talk-radio (and even original content) -- to find the best analysis and context about the big stories everyone is talking about.

I wouldn't have started the company if I didn't think this would be really useful and entertaining to people. I really hope you'll try it and enjoy it. Check it out when big news breaks, at the start (or end) of the day to just catch up on what you might have missed -- or just when you're trying to kill a minute standing in line after you've checked in on Facebook.

(Speaking of Facebook, it would be awesome if you would "like" the Quickish Facebook page, found at facebook.com/quickish. Liking it will also let you keep up with big Quickish news.)

Tim Tebow might say "Finish Strong," but at this point for me it's "Start Strong." I really appreciate your support, whether you are visiting the site or telling all your friends or co-workers.

Thank you so much for giving it a try.

-- Dan

Brand Tebow: Happy Tebow Day?

Tonight is the much-anticipated Tim Tebow documentary on ESPN. (7 p.m. ET)

I suspect you, like me, will be watching.

Wanted to point you to OnlyGators.com's review, which is a must-read in advance of the show.

Meanwhile, Tebow will be doing what is known at ESPN as the "car wash" -- he will be appearing on a bunch of different shows across the network, from "First Take" to Colin Cowherd's radio show to all the afternoon radio shows.

Should be a fun day for quotes. For the best and most dynamic coverage, I'm going to point you again to OnlyGators.com, which is all over this. You can either check back on their site or follow @onlygators on Twitter, where they always post when new stuff goes up.

Enjoy the day!

Back to preparation for the launch of my new company -- Quickish -- on Monday. To keep up with the progress, please "like" it on Facebook and follow the Twitter feed. Thanks!

-- Dan

Broncos Tebow: It Ends Really Well

Let's just make something clear:

If Tim Tebow had been given the starting opportunities of Sam Bradford, I think Tebow would have given Bradford a real race for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

At the very least, I think he would have out-performed Bradford statistically -- even if the Rams finished a lot better than the Broncos as a team

On the season, Tebow finished with 11 TDs -- 5 passing and 6 rushing. Let's remember that was from all of 3 games started and 13 other assorted snaps. No NFL player was more TD efficient.

(For the record, my preseason prediction was that Tebow would have between 7-10 TDs -- and I was considered wildly bullish on that. What does it say that even *I* was too low?)

Now just imagine how he would have done had he been given the reins earlier in the season -- it is easy in hindsight, but the Broncos as a team couldn't have done much worse if he had.

Instead, we are left with the tantalizing previous three weeks to affirm that Tim Tebow will be a very productive QB in the NFL.

Not a Wildcat gimmick. Not a backup. But a bonafide starting NFL QB. And we learned that in far less than his rookie season -- Tebow proved it in just three games.

Tebow will be much better next season for the experience over the past month. And he will be even better after the 2011 season.

Now, a lot remains to be seen: Who will the Broncos' next coach be? And will he be willing to give Tebow a chance to develop and improve? Chances are, he will.

Meanwhile, there is still much to come on the Tebow front: The ESPN documentary about Tebow between the Senior Bowl and the NFL Draft is on Thursday night.

Tebow's FRS sponsorship will go national, leading up to the Super Bowl. And there will be a ton of build-up for the release of Tebow's book "Through My Eyes" in April.

On a personal front, I will continue to cover the Tebow beat here. I have way too much fun to stop now, even if I won't get my own Tebow book out before Tebow's arrives in a few months.

Meanwhile, I have spent much of the past year founding my own company, a media start-up called "Quickish" that will be launching its first product next week.

I think it's something you all will really like -- even if it isn't all Tebow all the time. I hope you won't mind me keeping you updated on the launch and the company's progress.

(For example, you can "like" Quickish on Facebook and follow it on Twitter, and that will be a great way to stay updated.)

I have really appreciated the support you've given this blog, and it would mean a lot to me if you would give my new company's product a try -- and tell your friends!

The Tebow fan community is a huge one that I have gotten to know so well over the past 18 months -- I look forward to having you along for the ride with this new company.

Anyway, that's not the point of this post. The point of this post is: That was a heck of a rookie season by Timmy Tebow.

-- Dan

Must-See: Tebow Mic'd Up

Take 6 minutes and watch this incredible footage of Tim Tebow mic'd up by NFL Network during Sunday's win over Houston. Some awesome stuff there. (h/t: OGGOA)

Tim Tebow's Top 5 Moments of 2010

No end-of-year coverage would be complete without a look back at the Top 5 moments of the year. Let's review for Tim Tebow:

5. "The Gallop": A late-emerging contender! Tebow romping for a 40-yard TD on 3rd-and-24 for his first NFL TD as a starting QB.

5. The Endorsements: First EA Sports, to be the cover of NCAA Football 11. Then Nike. Then Jockey. Then, this week, FSR sports drink, in an upset. Few athletes -- certainly no rookies -- had a marketing impact like Tebow. (Let's not dwell too long on the time I stayed up until 1 a.m. waiting for his limited-edition shoes to go on sale, only to fall asleep with 5 minutes to go.)

4. The Super Bowl ad. The most talked-about Super Bowl ad of the year -- even more before the game than after it. Tebow's power to command attention seemed to sneak up on mainstream sports media that hadn't followed Tebow's career more closely. (I remember when this story started as a tiny item in a Colorado Springs newspaper, totally going under the radar.)

3. The Sugar Bowl. A record-setting way for Tebow to close his Florida career. (Remember how FoxSports.com had a live camera shot on Tebow the whole time? A fascinating experiment.)

2. Drafted in the 1st round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Your draft status isn't what a "draft expert" says you are; it's wherever you end up getting picked. Tim Tebow IS a 1st-round NFL Draft talent, because he was taken in the 1st round of the NFL Draft.

1. The 4th quarter of the Broncos' win over the Texans in Week 16 of the NFL season. Amazing to think that anything could have eclipsed Tebow going in the 1st-round of the draft -- then again, some of us never doubted for a second that he would get drafted in the 1st round. But Sunday's thrilling come-from-behind performance was unexpected -- even to Tebow's biggest fans.

Partly because of the unexpectedness, but mostly because of the tangible, on-field performance itself, this closes 2010 as the top highlight of Tim Tebow's year.

(It is probably worth adding that getting to interview Tebow face-to-face back in April ranks among my own Top 5 favorite -- and certainly most memorable -- moments of the year.)

Happy new year to everyone. Thanks so much for your continued support. Big new things coming for me beginning very early in January. Rest assured: I'll be keeping you updated!

-- Dan

Broncos Tebow: Breakthrough Game

I think that even among the Tebow faithful, they didn't see him performing this well, this fast.

Week 2 of the Tebow-as-starter Era might have been Week 16 of the NFL season -- and might have come against the woeful Texans D -- but it was one of the biggest statements made by any player this weekend:

Just Win.

A slow start was ultimately eclipsed by two 4th-quarter TD drives of 70+ yards each, including the game-winning drive that ended with a 6-yard Tebow scoot into the end zone.

That bookended a 300-yard passing day for Tebow (something that presumptive Offensive Rookie of the Year Sam Bradford has only done once this season, in 15 starts).

On the season, Tebow has accounted for 8 TDs -- about a half-dozen more than most were willing to project (but right in the middle of my prediction of 7-10 TDs for him).

But the story of the game wasn't the stats -- it was the Comeback, leading the Broncos to a win that seemed out of reach just a quarter before.

It was a breakthrough performance.

Brand Tebow: FRS Drink Deal

Did you think it was a lock that Tim Tebow would sign a sports-drink endorsement deal with Gatorade? Think again.

Tebow signed a deal with FRS -- a drink he had used personally before and at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Here is what makes the deal innovative: Tebow reportedly got equity in the company as part of the relationship. This is huge.

When Vitamin Water was first starting out, they gave a slice of equity to 50 Cent to be an endorser. When the company exploded, 50 Cent made millions more than he would have as a regular endorser.

Tim Tebow's marketing portfolio is well-diversified: Natural fits like EA, market leaders like Nike, interesting "mainstream" partners like Jockey and, now, a calculated reach with a market insurgent, like FRS.

Team Tebow came up with a really impressive effort on this one.

Broncos Tebow: It's a Start

I live out-of-market for Broncos games, so I had to head to my nearest bar equipped with DirecTV to watch Tim Tebow's debut as an NFL starting QB yesterday afternoon.

The rest of the folks there were either for the Jets or Steelers, but I out-whooped them all when Tebow, on 3rd-and-24, galloped for that 40-yard TD. What a classic "Tebow" moment.

Then, on the very next drive, when Tebow threw that lob into the end zone, I -- like everyone else watching on TV -- saw on replay that the catch was good for a TD.

Now, the catch was amazing -- but let's not underrate the throw, which split two defenders and gave Brandon Lloyd ANY chance at making a play.

Boom: Two series, two TDs -- one rushing, one passing. Classic Tebow -- and it was only his first start ever.

The performance was more than an acquittal of Tebow's NFL-worthiness; it was a statement that he has the potential to have a big impact on the game.

Don't hang the Broncos' loss on Tebow -- everyone recognizes that it was Denver's D that failed the team. On offense, let's see less calls for line-plunges by Tebow and more scoots around the outside that worked so well in the first half of the game.

But all in all, it was about as good of a start as you could have hoped for: Big, signature, TD-scoring plays, complemented by competent game management totally worthy of an NFL QB making his first start.

It's a start. A great start, in fact.

UPDATE: After filing this post, just read Woody Paige's column today. It's a must-read, as you would expect, and we're on the same page.

Broncos Tebow: Tebow Time!

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Tim Tebow will be the Broncos' starting QB tomorrow in Oakland, with a scheduled 4:15 ET kickoff.

This is huge. I'm not quite sure how else to put it. For Tebow fans, this is the moment we have been waiting for since the first day of the NFL Draft -- if not the moment this year his college eligibility ended and his pro career began.

There is no guarantee that he will succeed tomorrow. There is no guarantee he will throw for 300 yards. Or 3 TDs passing, with another 2 rushing TDs -- typical of his career at Florida.

However, there is a 100 percent guarantee that he will play as hard as he did in any game at UF. And there is a 100 percent guarantee that Tebow will be the most-watched -- and most fascinating -- storyline of the late-afternoon NFL schedule, if not the entire day.

Win or lose, big stats or not, this is what we all wanted to see. Tebow will gain invaluable experience that will only make him more effective next week, next year and throughout his career.

I couldn't be more excited for tomorrow, and I'm sure you feel the same way as me.

-- D.S.

Broncos Tebow: I Think He'll Play

I'm going to make a prediction: I think Tim Tebow will play this Sunday.

Now, that's risky, given how this season has gone. I mean, if he didn't get in the game the LAST time the Broncos played the Raiders, why now?

For starters, Josh McDaniels is gone. And interim coach Eric Dudesville, while eager to play it safe by naming Kyle Orton his starting QB, simply doesn't have the juice to withstand the pressure. But that assumes that Dudesville doesn't want to play Tebow.

The reality is that it is the SAFEST thing to do: What folks don't seem to get is that fans don't care how well Tebow plays -- at least not yet.

They just want to see him play, period.

The same logic holds for why the Broncos -- otherwise totally irrelevant to the season -- become one of the first three highlights you'd see on Sunday if they play Tebow: He simply commands that much attention. And the Broncos, frankly, could use the cachet.

Kyle Orton's injury (or "injury") provides the perfect cover. Tebow already has taken snaps this week with the first team; it is a short leap to put him in the game.

It's Tebow Time.

Broncos Tebow: It Is Tebow Time

This cannot be stated more plainly: It is time to start Tim Tebow.

Not just to give Tim Tebow a couple of snaps per game -- the team missed that opportunity, and it might have helped cost Josh McDaniels his job. Now the Dude is falling into the same hole.

I simply cannot believe that in a meaningless game like yesterday's, Tim Tebow didn't play. At this point, it doesn't matter if he steps in and stumbles around like a fool. Just play him.

But we are beyond that: It is time to start him. The team has nothing to lose. Tebow will go up the learning curve dramatically. And -- look at that -- a crappy, losing team will be must-see.

Start Tim Tebow. Let him play. Whatever your slogan or chant, it's time to get louder.

Broncos Tebow: Urban Meyer Reunion?

I am not in any sort of position to make a definitive claim, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that NO, there is NO CHANCE that Urban Meyer becomes the coach of the Denver Broncos.

Does Urban believe that Tim Tebow has the potential to be a very effective NFL quarterback? Absolutely. Does he think he could, if given the reins, make it happen? Absolutely.

But that doesn't mean that he wants everything that goes along with those reins -- coaching the Broncos is a lot more than coaching Tebow.

Tim Tebow needs one thing: A coach who believes in him enough to give him the ball -- in limited (if innovative) ways at first, then full-time.

In other words, he needs a coach that is LIKE Urban Meyer -- if not ACTUALLY Urban Meyer.

Tim Tebow on Urban Meyer

“It was the opportunity of a lifetime to play for a man who will be remembered as one of the greatest football coaches of all time. But Coach Meyer was more than just a coach to me -- he was a father figure who cared about me as a person and taught me valuable lessons that I will never forget.

“I respect that Coach Meyer had the courage to make the decision that was right for himself and his family. He will be blessed and better off for it. I am truly glad that he’s happy and no matter what, we both will be Gators for the rest of our lives.

“While change is never easy, the University of Florida will find the right head coach to continue its proud football tradition and will have the full support of Gator Nation. I wish Coach Meyer and his family all the best going forward, and they will always be a big part of my life.”