Read the opposing argument from Loyal Homer.
Let’s role play for a minute (don’t worry, it’s nothing kinky). I will take the role of an NFL scout, and you will act as an NFL general manager. As the draft approaches our team has a gaping hole at the quarterback position and I come to you with this news –“We have found a hidden gem in this year’s draft.”
This player is incredible. He has the physical tools of a young Donavan McNabb, the leadership of Drew Brees, and media presence of Peyton Manning. He has proven he can handle the pressure of big game situations. He has national awards and multiple national championships to boot. Oh, and here is the kicker, he is actually underrated. He might even be around until the third or fourth round.
Does that scenario sound too good to be true? Well it’s not. Tim Tebow matches the criteria above, and yet we are still debating his ability to be a pro quarterback in the NFL.
Tim Tebow is the complete package. He possesses a wealth of talent and the three “I”s – intensity, integrity, and intelligence – as well. His style of play is physical, intense, and unpredictable. Although he is not the prototypical speedy scrambling quarterback (like Michael Vick or Vince Young), he is still a threat to tuck the ball and fight for yardage on the ground, especially in the red zone. Even his critics, including Mel Kiper, Jr., admit he is great at moving with the ball in his hands. The fact that Tebow is a one-man-wildcat offense should be an offensive coordinator’s dream because his skills open up the field and make it difficult for opposing defenses to prepare.
Still many of his detractors sell him short and view him as a tight end or fullback rather than a quarterback. I will admit that he could play those positions, but he will ultimately be more valuable bringing his unique style of play to the quarterback position. Some analysts have even made comparisons between Tebow and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ goal line legend, Mike Alstott. That is not a negative, either. Obviously, I think he is capable of much more, but at the very least I will agree that he would be formidable on the ground. His intense, physical style of play can also get him hurt. But the best quarterbacks mix it up with the defense every now and then for the benefit of the team (see Peyton Manning throwing blocks on running plays).
Some of the best attributes Tim Tebow brings to the table are his intangibles. A front office that drafts Tebow can breath easy knowing they are not going to wake up to ESPN reporting that he shot himself in the leg at a strip club or started a vicious cat fighting ring in his back yard (I figured dog fighting was overdone, and Tebow strikes me more as a cat man anyway.) Don’t get me wrong, Tebow will make headlines for his off-the-field actions, but those headlines are more likely to be about his faith or community involvement. Recently, he made headlines for asking for a moment of prayer before taking the Wonderlic Exam at the NFL combine. While this brought him the ire of some in the media, and at least one cat call of “shut the [fudge] up!” from another would-be draftee, it’s telling of his character. If the biggest distractions surrounding your quarterback – who is often the face of a franchise – are his requests for prayer and what Bible verses he has on his eye black, it is a safe assumption that the coach and owner are not going to lose a whole lot of sleep worrying about their quarterback’s personal life (the Steelers’ front office should get hazard pay for their loss of sleep due to the shenanigans of Ben Roethlisberger and his apparent life coach, Charlie Sheen.).
Tebow’s leadership is also a major attribute. He has been a vocal leader on championship teams since his high school days. Carolina Panthers’ head coach John Fox said of Tebow’s leadership in high school and college, “You look at those types of things and he’s shown the ability to lead men, albeit young men, but they’re still men. In fact, that might be harder.” His ability to lead can anchor any number of teams that seem to be adrift in their division without passion or vision. Teams like Carolina, Buffalo, and Cleveland could all use a strong leadership presence to breathe new life into stagnant offenses.
The man even turns negatives into positives. Take the criticism about his throwing motion for example. It is perceived to be his Achilles Heel and is touted as the biggest weakness of his game. Sure, Tebow had a throwing motion slower than a 1920s windup baseball pitcher. And yes, all that time would give blitzing defenders an eternity to see how much turf they could force feed the rookie quarterback. But he has made all that a virtual non-factor by creating a new, more compact delivery. Let that set in for a minute. The guy hears criticism about a weakness and takes proactive steps to fix it. He could have pulled a prima donna act and declared there was nothing wrong with his mechanics. But instead he responds with action. That impresses me, and it appears to be impressing NFL teams, as more seem to be taking the QB more seriously every day.
In the end, no one will know how he will turn out until he’s given a chance, but it seems increasingly clear that he will be given a chance at quarterback. When it comes to predicting NFL success analysts get it wrong just as much, if not even more, than they get it right. Six other quarterbacks were selected before Tom Brady the year he was drafted. It is always a guessing game. In the end, the only basis for evaluating how a player actually performs in real life situations is to take a look at their college days. Tebow was the best of the best at Florida. The smart money is on his unconventional success in the NFL.
This is a good article, except for the inclusion of the Combine STFU story. Tebow has since personally denied that it took place, including providing the story’s writer w/the names of witnesses who will verify it didn’t take place.
Thanks. Tebow has denied it, that’s true. However, it is relevant in this debate because the event – regardless of whether it actually went down – is believable. It also speaks to Tebow’s personality and how it can rub some folks the wrong way.
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Like I said, I refuse to call out Tebow personally. Yes, he rubs some people the wrong way, but not me. This debate was about Tebow the quarterback and that’s where I believe he doesn’t measure up. But as Sports Geek said, the possibility of the event or a similiar event taking place is believable and for me personally, him standing up like that says a lot about his character. For once, Babe Ruthless and I can agree on that!
tebow has got no future anywhere… did you see that story bout the absolutely most personally annoying star athletes? He’s top of that list if you ask me.