Tim Tebow
Timothy R. Tebow is an American football quarterback for the Florida Gators. He enrolled at the University of Florida in January 2006 after committing to play for Urban Meyer's team a month earlier. A highly-touted quarterback known for his ability to run and pass, he chose Florida over Alabama, University of Michigan, USC, and Louisiana State. He is from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL and played quarterback for Allen D. Nease High School
Biography
Tebow is the fifth child of Bob and Pam Tebow, both University of Florida graduates, who were serving as missionaries in the Philippines at the time of his birth. His father chose Timothy as a name because it means "honoring God." Naturally, he was raised with a strong religious background; his mother homeschooled he and his siblings to ensure Christian values were instilled in the children. Due to Florida legislation passed in 1996, Tebow was allowed to compete in sporting events in the school zone in which he lives, which was originally Duval County.
As his junior season approached, Tebow became one of the highest-profile recruits in the country. He led his team, the Nease Panthers, to a state title, was a Parade All-American, named Florida's Mr. Football, and earned All-State honors. He finished his high school career with 9,810 passing yards, 3,169 rushing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and 63 rushing touchdowns. Despite parental and sibling ties to the University of Florida, he became very close to Alabama coach Mike Shula. After considerable deliberation, Tebow chose to play for the Gators. He was considered one of the top recruits of the year. John Madden once said about Tebow,"He is the model man that will restore Gator football back to its years of greatness - which amount to a 10 year span during the 1990's." [1] As a practical matter, it should be noted that Florida, despite their illusions of grandeur, is the "Johnny come lately" of SEC football. Many schools, including Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, and current SEC Champion Georgia, have enjoyed SEC and National Championships for the past 50 years. While Florida fans look to Tebow as the upcoming "Savior", they should recall the same chants upon the arrival of Wayne Peace and Emmit Smith - neither of which led the Gators to an SEC Championship. 10 years of success doesn't create tradition, but it does popularize jean shorts and hair gel.
Tebow was the subject of an ESPN documentary of Faces in Sports titled "Tim Tebow: The Chosen One", which focused on his homeschooling controversy and missionary work as well as his exploits on the field of play and the college recruiting process. He was also featured in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd page.