The Denver Broncos selected Florida quarterback Tim Tebow with the 25th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. By the time he was chosen, the Gators’ star already transcended the sport. He didn’t light up the NFL, but that should not diminish all of his accomplishments on the field and off it.
2006
Tim Tebow was one of the prized recruits in this year’s class. The lefty quarterback was home-schooled before heading off to Gainesville.When he arrived at Florida, Chris Leak was entrenched as the quarterback. Tebow made some appearances as a freshman, completing 22-of-33 passes for 358 yards with five TDs and one pick. Tebow also rushed for 469 yards and eight touchdowns.
2007
The sophomore year saw Tebow become a national phenomenon. He threw for 3,286 yards with 32 TDs against six picks. Add in 895 yards rushing with 23 TDs and you wound up with a Heisman Trophy season. The Gators went 9-4 for Urban Meyer. Oh, one of the backup QBs completed 5-of-10 passes. His name? Cam Newon.
2008
There was no back-to-back Heismans for Tebow despite a junior campain that saw him throw 30 TD passes against four picks and for 2,746 yards. Tebow rushed for 673 yards and scored another 12 TDs. The Heisman winner that season was Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford as Tebow finished third in the voting. Colt McCoy of Texas came in second. Florida went 13-1 and won the BCS national championship by upending Bradshaw and Oklahoma.
2009
Tebow’s senior season came and already there were questions about what kind of pro he would be and where he would get selected. Would he insist on playing quarterback or be willing to try a different position in the pros. Tebow finished his time in Gainesville with another 2,895 yards passing and 21 TDs against five picks. He also rushed for 910 yards and 14 scores Overall, Tebow threw for 9,285 yards with 88 TD passes and 16 picks in an amazing college career. He rushed for 2,947 yards and 57 TDs. Florida was 13-1 in 2009, losing only to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.
2010
The NFL Draft came and the questions continued to bubble and percolate. Was Tebow a college phenom or would be be able to continue as a franchise NFL quarterback. Pick after pick went by before the Denver Broncos finally chose the Florida star at No. 25. Tebow completed 50% of his passes as a rookie and went 1-2 as a starter. Kyle Orton made the rest of the starts as Denver went 4-12 in a season that saw Josh McDaniels canned.
2011
Things changed in his sophomore season in the NFL. Tebow won seven of 11 starts and led Denver to the playoffs. The 8-8 Broncos faced the Steelers in a Wild-Card playoff game and Tebow’s NFL highlight came here. He connected with DeMaryius Thomas, who was chosen 22nd overall in the first round in 2010, for an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime to send Denver to the Divisional round, where it fell to the Patriots. Tebow only completed 46.5% of his passes in the regular season with 12 TDs and six picks.
2012
After the Broncos signed free agent Peyton Manning, Tebow was traded to the New York Jets on March 21, 2012, along with the Broncos’ 2012 seventh round draft pick, in exchange for the Jets’ fourth- and sixth-round picks. The presence of Tebow throughout the season, in which the Jets struggled, created a controversy as the fans and media called for Ryan to bench the inconsistent Mark Sanchez. Tebow suffered two broken ribs during a road game against the Seahawks, but his injury was not confirmed until two days before the Jets’ Thanksgiving game against the New England Patriots. He was active despite the injury, which was publicly revealed after the game. On April 29, 2013, Tebow was released by the Jets. He had thrown eight passes and rushed 32 times in his one season with the team
2013
The New England Patriots signed Tebow on June 10, 2013. Tebow signed a two-year contract with no guaranteed money, although it did have playing time-based incentives in 2014. Tebow played in the first two of New England’s preseason games, against the Eagles and the Buccaneers and complete five passes in both games, was sacked several times and intercepted once, intensifying criticism of his football acumen. He went 6-for-11 for 91 yards, throwing a pair of touchdown passes and one interception, and gained 30 yards on six carries against the New York Giants, but was sacked four times. He threw a total of two touchdown passes and two interceptions in the preseason and had a passer rating of 47.2 and completed 36.7% of his passes. He was released from the Patriots on Aug. 31.
2015
Tebow signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on April 20, 2015, and was in competition with Matt Barkley for the Eagles third-string quarterback job. Tebow played all four games in the preseason with no starts, going 21-of-36 for 286 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, while rushing for 82 yards and a touchdown. He was released by the team on Sept. 5, following the fourth preseason game.
Conclusion
After his NFL career fizzled, Tebow decided to try his hand at baseball. The New York Mets took a chance on the former star quarterback. He appears destined for a life in the minor leagues. Overall in the NFL, Tebow threw for 2,422 yards with 17 TDs against nine picks while going 8-6 as a starter.
