I'm No Superman, But Tim Tebow Is

At this point, you’ve heard it all before. Tim Tebow was the first sophomore to win the Heisman trophy. Superman wears Tim Tebow pajamas. Tim Tebow has won two national championships. Tim Tebow is a man of his word. Tim Tebow holds numerous national, SEC and school records. Tim Tebow is the ultimate leader. Chuck Norris broke his foot trying to roundhouse kick Tim Tebow’s chin. Tebow is the football scholar athlete of the year in the SEC. Even the prospect of stillbirth cannot stop Tim Tebow. Tim Tebow is going to save the world one child at a time; he’s like a muscular Bono without an inclination to wear sunglasses indoors. Tim Tebow is one of the greatest college football players in history.

Many of my friends love Tim Tebow. They find him refreshing, a breath of fresh air. They respect him as a person and love the way he plays football. They proudly point out that Tebow is one of the most successful college athletes of all-time. Many of my friends are sick of Tim Tebow. They see him every time they turn on Sportscenter or surf around espn.com and they’ll soon see him in an upcoming Super Bowl commercial. To say that Tim Tebow is ubiquitous is perhaps an understatement. They point out that Tebow was a gimmick during the first Florida championship and that Dennis Dixon probably takes the Heisman won by Tebow in 2007 if not for a torn ACL. They wonder if Tim Tebow is really that much different than Colt McCoy...

Tim Tebow is a polarizing figure. His extraordinary success breeds dislike among the public in addition to bringing in hordes of admirers. Tebow’s religion serves as a divisive force as does his brash enthusiasm on the football field. His career at Florida has ended but the controversy continues. Jon Gruden, Bill Parcells and Tony Dungy have all waxed rhapsodic about Tebow’s ability and potential as an NFL player. Many other scouts can’t fathom a successful transition to the NFL quarterback position. For all of Tim Tebow’s skills, if he cannot improve his mechanics, pocket presence and accuracy he will not be an elite NFL quarterback. It is already certain (well, as certain as you can be) that he will not make the same impact at the NFL level. But that doesn’t mean Tim Tebow can’t make any impact whatsoever. Just as perceptions should be moderated somewhere in between adoration and hatred, Tim Tebow’s career (and draft status) will fall somewhere between elite and non-existent.

Tim Tebow has been great at Florida but that is not why he is Tim Tebow. It’s about intangibles. The unquantifiable “it.” It’s about leadership and determination. It’s about the (supposed) effect Tebow has on his teammates. Do these traits make him a more valuable NFL player? I don’t see it. The NFL is no different than any other sport at any other level. It is easier and more natural for great players to lead. Tim Tebow will be a great locker room guy but that does not mean he can transform the culture of a team (though he may able to change the culture at Jacksonville’s box office) if he is not a star player. And, with respect to three of the best coaches of the past decade, Tim Tebow is not an elite-level talent. His intangibles do not make his mid-round talent a first round draft pick. It’s nice not having to worry about posting bail for your players but talent wins out in the NFL.

A good offensive coordinator will find a use for Tebow. Whether in a version of the Wildcat, at the goal line or as a halfback, Tebow is too powerful and too good an athlete not to contribute in the NFL. But that makes him a specialist, not an invaluable franchise quarterback. And even though many seem to realize that it’s unlikely he will ever take the massive strides necessary to succeed as a quarterback, he will be drafted in the first round. It only takes one general manager to fall in love with Tebow. He is one of finest physical specimens the position has ever seen and a strong arm to boot. He has the intangibles so desired by coaches and front office personnel alike. Tim Tebow is alluring because he possesses the attributes that cannot be taught. And does any franchise want to admit that perhaps they can’t teach him the necessary mechanics, footwork and progressions? The sporting world is an egotistical one and that affects front office decision making as much as that of the players. In some ways Tim Tebow has already maximized his ability as a football player. That maximization aided Tebow in his massively successful college career. In other ways, Tebow has only scratched the surface as a quarterback. And that unfulfilled potential (and him being Tim Tebow and all) will vault him up draft boards around the league. Love him or hate him, you have to respect the fact that Tim Tebow has managed to have plenty of cake as quarterback of the University of Florida. And his upcoming signing bonus seems to point to him eating plenty of it, too.