Tim Tebow has had an illustrious career as quarterback for the University of Florida Gators football team. He led the team to two national championships and won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 as the first sophomore to do so. Off the field, Tebow is known for his humanitarian efforts such as mission work in the Philippines and fundraising for charities. He is praised for his leadership, faith, and the positive impact he has had on others both within the Gator football program and around the world. Tebow is considered one of the greatest college football players ever.

1. Quarterback Tim Tebow is truly one of a kind
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By Joshua Lentine
UF Communications
W
hoever said that one person can’t make a
difference has never heard of Tim Tebow.
Over the past four years, he has served as
“Exhibit A” for what can happen when someone
possesses the dedication and determination to
accomplish their goals.
Rewind back to the 2006 spring semester. A
highly touted recruit arrived on campus early, to
enroll in classes and begin his life as a Florida
Gator. He sat in the O’Connell Center watch-
ing the men’s basketball team make a push
toward its first national championship. The
young man shook hands with fans that recog-
nized him as the heir apparent to Chris Leak,
but to others was a seemingly normal student.
For “The Chosen One,” the sense of normalcy
would fade, but the championships would not.
Months later, No. 15 would suit up in the
Orange and Blue for the first time in his life. He
would have to wait three long quarters to take
his first snap, but on the third play of his colle-
giate career against Southern Miss, he rushed for
a touchdown. Less than three weeks later, the
debate over who was the greater superhero, Tim
Tebow or Superman, had begun.
The dynamic freshman would be looked to
many times throughout his first season; espe-
cially on short yardage conversions when games
were hanging in the balance. His 827 yards of
total offense and 13 touchdowns were an instru-
mental factor in Florida’s first BCS National
Championship run. While the 2006 campaign
was special, many people questioned if Tebow
would be able to handle the pressures of being
the starting quarterback.
He responded the only way champions know
how — with one of the most historical and
dominating seasons in college football history.
In 2007, Tebow established seven NCAA and
SEC single-season records en route to becoming
the first and only true sophomore to win the
Heisman Trophy. He also took home Player of
the Year honors from the Associated Press, the
Maxwell Award (given to the best player) and
the Davey O’Brien Award (presented to the best
NCAA quarterback).
As his legend grew each week, the entire
country became infatuated by this sophomore
sensation. He had scored rushing and passing
touchdowns in 13 consecutive games; becoming
the first player ever to both pass and rush for 20-
or-more touchdowns in one year. The 23 rush-
ing TDs were the most ever by a NCAA Bowl
Subdivision quarterback, and combined with
his passing touchdowns (32), made him respon-
sible for the most TDs (55) in a season from the
SEC as well. He finished the season with the
Tim Tebow has crafted quite a legacy at Florida, from being an All-American in both the classroom and
on the gridiron to his outstanding humanitarian efforts.

2. most yards of total offense ever (4,181) by a
player from the Southeastern Conference and
led his team to a bowl game.
Though the All-American’s accomplishments
on the field are the most visible, Tebow’s feats
away from the gridiron are what make him truly
special. It’s in his nature to give all of himself for
the betterment of others.
“I love being able to talk to kids at the
orphanage. Being able to hug them or put your
arm around them can make a huge impact in
their life,” Tebow said of his family’s missionary
work in the Philippines.
But it’s not just his summers in which he
devotes time to spreading good will. He has
spent countless hours working with the
Children’s Miracle Network, Shands Hospital
and other charities to better the lives of the
Gainesville community. His First and 15 Powder
Puff Game has raised more than $10,000 for
charity. Tebow shares his faith by conducting a
Bible study, visiting prisons to talk with convict-
ed men and referencing Bible verses on his eye-
black during games. He involves his teammates
as much as possible. Recently, the defending
national champions chaperoned a group of chil-
dren around Disney World for a day.
Former Florida offensive coordinator Dan
Mullen had this to say about Tebow. “He’s one
of the most unique people in the world. I prob-
ably have more respect for him than anybody
I’ve ever met. He is one of the most amazing
young people out there. He taught me a very
valuable lesson in life: if you can make an
impact on someone’s life, it is your obligation to
do that.”
Tebow does not shy away from Mullen’s state-
ment. He admits that he wants people to see
what he believes through his actions. He wants
them to say, “I see the way you live your life, the
passion you have, the fun you have and I want
what you’ve got.”
Which may be easier said than done. Despite
all of this, many people do not believe Tebow to
be the real deal.
“He just is who he is,” says Danny Wuerffel,
Tebow’s mentor and the ‘96 Heisman Trophy-
winning quarterback. “He’s not putting on a
show or trying to act differently. We talk about
a lot of things, and one thing we discuss is how
to manage the crazy life of a celebrity. That’s a
difficult challenge. We spend a lot of time on
that. We’ve also talked about how we can use
our platforms together to impact people off the
field.”
While many people admire him for being
outspoken about his faith, it is impossible for
them to overlook the way he handles himself
around football.
Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino once said
of Tebow, “You want to find a guy that is a great
leader, a great competitor and is a proven win-
ner. Tim has shown he is all of those things. He
is a tremendous football player.”
As all great people do, No. 15 has the ability
to raise the level of output from the people
around him. In 2008, his stats may not have
matched the monumental 2007 season, but it
didn’t matter. Three of his teammates, Brandon
Spikes, Brandon James and Percy Harvin,
earned All-American honors as Florida won its
second BCS National Championship in three
years.
The highly decorated Jacksonville native does
not have to accomplish anything else to be con-
sidered the greatest collegiate player ever by those
loyal to The Gator Nation … of course we have
come to expect nothing but the best from him.
“It’s been special,” he said about his career
thus far. “I can’t say I expected this to happen —
to win two national championships and a
Heisman Trophy. So, I guess in a way it has
exceeded expectations. I knew it was going to be
a dream come true coming here to play for
coach Urban Meyer, but I didn’t exactly know
what it was going to be like.”
With Tebow at the helm for one final sea-
son, the Gators are more dangerous than ever.
As he competes for a third SEC
Championship, third BCS National
Championship and is considered to be the
front-runner for a second Heisman Trophy,
fans will be rooting for him more than ever.
He has been the unofficial ambassador of the
University of Florida around the world over the
past four years. Whether it was winning national
championships, being a missionary in the Pacific,
visiting children in the hospital, or simply giving
us something to cheer about on Saturdays during
the fall, it is evident Tim Tebow carried The
Gator Nation to new heights and positively
impacted our lives in some manner.
You never know where you may be when you
encounter someone who became a fan of the
Florida Gators because of the way he played and
the actions he made off the football field. Tebow
has set an excellent example of how life should
be lived to the best of our ability, and it’s up to
the rest of us to do the same.
Time will tell if he goes down in history as
the greatest college football player ever. One
thing is certain; there will never be another Tim
Tebow.
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Tebow is the only quarterback in NCAA history
to rush and pass for more than 20 touchdowns
in a season.
Tebow has rushed for a school-record 48 touchdowns, one shy of the SEC record held by fellow Heisman
Trophy winner Herschel Walker of Georgia.