Why Tim Tebow should join the highly exclusive list of first ballot College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Say what you want about Tim Tebow.
You thought he preached about his faith too much. He had a wonky throwing motion. His NFL experience was nothing like his 4 years at Florida. The comeback attempts in baseball and football were both unremarkable.
There. We got the criticism out of the way.
None of those things can or will impact whether the Gators great and current ESPN/SEC Network analyst earns immediate enshrinement into the College Football Hall of Fame. We found out Monday that Tebow is on the ballot for the first time. He’s 1 of 80 FBS players on the ballot, which also includes 9 FBS coaches, 96 non-FBS players and 33 non-FBS coaches.
It was the first time that Tebow showed up on the ballot because, in case you forgot, he attempted a comeback with the Jacksonville Jaguars at this time last year. Players aren’t eligible until they’re at least 10 full seasons removed from their college career and they’re done playing at the professional ranks. Hence, why guys like Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson weren’t enshrined until 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Those 2 were part of an extremely exclusive group of first-ballot inductees. Since 2015, there were 10 FBS players who earned enshrinement following their first appearance on the ballot:
- Vince Young, Texas
- Darren McFadden, Arkansas
- Joe Thomas, Wisconsin
- Charles Woodson, Michigan
- Ed Reed, Miami
- Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
- Peyton Manning, Tennessee
- Marshall Faulk, San Diego State
- Derrick Brooks, Florida State
- Ricky Williams, Texas
We’ve seen others earn immediate enshrinement. Desmond Howard did so in 2010, as did Danny Wuerffel in 2013. Then again, we’ve also seen all-time greats like Tommie Frazier and Derrick Thomas wait years after they first appeared on the ballot.
There are similarities between Frazier and Tebow. Both won multiple national championships and both were dominant running quarterbacks who never really got their footing at the next level. Of course, Frazier never won a Heisman Trophy and Tebow became the first sophomore to win the award in 2007. Then again, Tebow’s status as a first-ballot inductee shouldn’t be based on how many years Frazier took to get in, nor should there be any unwritten rule about the Hall of Fame not electing players from the same school in consecutive classes.
(That shouldn’t matter either way. Florida’s last inductee was Lomas Brown Jr. in the 2020 class.)
The better question should be whether Tebow stacks up with that aforementioned group of first-ballot inductees in recent memory (or since 2015). It’s hard to compare his accomplishments to running backs like Faulk or Williams, and I suppose you can’t really do any statistical breakdown of Tebow next to defensive players like Reed and Brooks, though from a leadership standpoint, you can see the similarities all of those Sunshine State stars had.
But Tebow delivering “The Promise” or riling up the locker room with a fiery speech against Florida State isn’t necessarily grounds for immediate enshrinement. Let’s instead do the side-by-side breakdown of Tebow compared to Manning and Young:
(I know that Young was essentially a starter for 2.5 years.)
We should all be able to look at that and make the not-so-bold declaration that Tebow absolutely belongs alongside Manning and Young.
If you want to discount all of Tebow’s accomplishments because of this notion that he had far superior talent around him, that’s on you. The “but Tebow had Percy Harvin” argument doesn’t really hold up considering the fact that Harvin was his lone skill player teammate who came off the board in the first 2 rounds of the NFL Draft. Young had 1 (Cedric Benson) and Manning had 3 (Joey Kent, Marcus Nash and Peerless Price).
If you want to say “Tebow didn’t deserve the Heisman Trophy because Darren McFadden should’ve won it,” fine. Shoot, that person would probably also say that Young deserved it in 2005, and we all know how Tennessee fans feel about the Manning-Woodson debate of 1997.
(Please don’t get mad that I called it a “debate,” Vol Twitter. At the very least, that’s what it became. Also, I was 7 at the time and I didn’t have a Heisman vote so please don’t hurt me.)
I’d still argue that Tebow having 2 top-3 Heisman seasons would make him worthy of first-ballot induction. That’s something neither Manning nor Young did.
But that’s not really the point of this discussion. At least it shouldn’t be. Manning, Young and Tebow all check that box of no-doubter, first-ballot inductees. They were, by any measure, legends. You can’t tell the story of college football without describing their brilliance.
That’s really what all of those 10 recent first-ballot inductees have in common. Any chapter about college football that details the last 30 years is including all of those guys. The list of college football players who impacted the sport like Tebow are few and far between. We might not ever see another quarterback who plays the game like he did. That’s not to say he undoubtedly played the position better than the rest, but 13 years later, he’s still tops in the SEC in rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns (he’s No. 9 in FBS history).
One day, maybe we’ll see someone break Tebow’s SEC records or the 28 school records he owns. Who knows? Perhaps the combination of booming offenses with NIL possibly keeping kids in school longer could yield that scenario.
Still, though, his legacy is safe. It wasn’t the byproduct of media hype, either. To keep a player of his caliber on the ballot for longer than a year would be the byproduct of some construed narrative within the group of National Football Foundation voters. I wouldn’t bet on that, though.
I’d instead bet on nothing getting in the way of Tebow and imminent college football immortality.
Tebow deserves to be in for sure, but so do guys like Bradie James, Langham, Berry…
Timmy gets in on 1st ballot. Amazing what he did.
What did he do that was amazing?
He went 4 years in Gainesville w/o getting l a I d while some of the most beautiful women in the state held up marry me signs every Saturday?
If that isn’t amazing enough there’s a few other accomplishments.
“He went 4 years in Gainesville w/o getting l a I d while some of the most beautiful women in the state held up marry me signs every Saturday?”
LOLLOLOLOLOLOLOL ok.
Marsh what a great answer to such a stupid question. Good job bro
true true!
RTR!
He roomed with Aaron Hernandez and didn’t shoot anyone
In all seriousness, if he isn’t a first ballot College HOFamer, I don’t know who is
Maybe read the article.
A QB rating higher than Peyton Manning and more rushing TDs than Hershel Walker. Sounds like SEC royalty to me. (Both Peyton and Hershel are also royalty).
“Amazing what he did.”
He was amazing when he cried like a baby after Alabama destroyed UF in the SEC Championship game.
Roll Tide!
it was also amazing when he won two nattys and a heisman as an underclassman!! you’re too scared to show your team’s logo but i assure you whatever team it is doesnt have a QB with more rushing TDs than herschel walker!
“it was also amazing when he won two nattys ”
He was on the bench for 90% of the first one. Chris Leak was the starting qb. Try again.
“you’re too scared to show your team’s logo but i assure you whatever team it is doesnt have a QB with more rushing TDs than herschel walker!”
LOL
Well dang… If that’s a prerequisite for the CFBHOF, then there are scores of BooHoo Bama Troll Cried fans on this very site that deserve consideration. 33-18*(should have been 12, but PossibleFutureHOFersDuetoBeingBooHooBamaTrollCriedNation was gifted a mercy td by the officials)
Marsh- Agreed. First ballot CF HOF. Do people honestly disagree? Idk why this is even a debate…
The fact that he remained a virgin has nothing to do with football or the HOF. Got have a better reason.
You know there’s something called sarcasm, also humor.
May wanna look that ip
Up
Insanely good football player, terrible throwing QB, high football IQ, Heisman and a Natty. Yep he a hall of famer. Go back and watch him scramble, it’s unreal.
Great player, great role model
Always came off as a genuine guy. That’s why it was so hard to see him play for my Broncos and not do well.
Never felt like Always gave him a chance. He’s the reason McDaniel was fired. Curious of what could have been had they committed to McDaniel and changing the offense to fit his skills.
That could be King. We will never know.
You can’t say that about his college career. His passing stats were arguably better than Manning’s.
Andre Caldwell, Riley Cooper, and Percy Harvin were often 3 steps ahead of the DB’s and regularly were catching underthrown balls. Go back and watch the highlights. They are incredible but the throwing motion/accuracy issues were still there.
So he didn’t look pretty enough for you. Ok.
They were ahead because they had to check and make sure Tebow wasn’t running. Yeah, they were fast. But the QB run made them hesitate as well.
It wasn’t so much about looking pretty as it was throwing to obviously wide open guys (due to being a terrorizing run threat) and when they weren’t blatantly wide open watching him throw a fastball directly to the DB and watching Caldwell, Ingram, and Harvin turn interceptions into TD’s.
“His passing stats were arguably better than Manning’s.”
How’d that work out in the NFL?
Article is about College Football Hall of Fame.
“Article is about College Football Hall of Fame.”
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Manning is IN the College Football Hall of Fame.
Try harder.
You think you’re breaking bad news? The article clearly states that and is only showing stats for college HOF’ers. This is about Tebow and how he compares. I hope that helps you understand what everyone here already knows
” This is about Tebow and how he compares. ‘
Yet…you brought up Manning in your comment, corn dog.
Gosh. Good luck with that.
“Gosh. Good luck with that.”
Corn dog, I vividly remember when LSU drunk fans went to the nearby hospital to scream at a hurt UF player after the LSU/UF game.
I wasn’t there, and as usual, you bring the straw man into the discussion. So typical.
“I wasn’t there, and as usual, you bring the straw man into the discussion. So typical.”
I never said you were. Why are you trying to make it about you?
And another straw man. We’re done. Troll away.
Ronnie, quit arguing with yourself. The article is about the college football HOF. You bring up the NFL. Gator77 reminds you it’s about the college HOF, then you post that Peyton is in the college HOF.
How’d that work out in the NFL?
Article is about College football Hall of Fame.
How it worked out for anyone in the NFL is irrelevant. Got nothing to do with how they performed in college.
You’re trying to hard and faceplanting. Take your L.
Agreed. What happened in the NFL shouldn’t keep people from voting him in first ballot.
Great college player that couldn’t make in the NFL.
Which is why he is a First ballot College HOF and not NFL HOF
I never said he wasn’t CFHOF worthy.
Was this article really necessary; are there seriously people that questioned this decision? Even if you hate him (probably because he embarrassed you team) there is no denying he is one of the most successful players ever in terms of overall statistics and winning. Even when compared with QB stats today where half the starters put up video game numbers his stats would still be impressive, plus he did it vs very difficult schedules and back before defense was essentially regulated out of the game.
Of course there are people out there who may/will question it, hence Tommy Frazier (the human highlight reel) having to wait 8 years the way he did. Dumb.
Absolutely an injustice..
He never beat Auburn, but it’s still not a debate. He’s a slam dunk for first ballot.
The best college football player I ever watched was Hershel. Without question. The best college athlete, Bo. Tebow was an awesome college QB. He should be first ballot. My $0.02.
Best college athlete
I love Hershel but it’s hard to vote against Joe Burrow, there’s a good debate to be had there.
“Best college athlete”
Cam laughs at you.
Let me guess; you never got to see Bo play in person. I did. Bo played three sports at Auburn. Three. Cam played one. And for only one season. Throw it in. (Like Cam did the laptop when he was a backup QB at Florida.).
Senor Ron is cranky
“Let me guess; you never got to see Bo play in person. I did. Bo played three sports at Auburn. Three. Cam played one. ”
Not sure what Cam has to do with Bo, but ok.
No, I did not get to see Bo play in person.
“Cam played one. And for only one season. ”
And accomplished a lot in that one season. Heisman, national championship, #1 draft pick in the NFL. I can go on.
“The best college football player I ever watched was Hershel.”
Barry Sanders laughs at you.
I actually watched Herschel in person, ergo, “…I ever watched….” AND, yes, we all watch on TV but it’s not quite the same.
“watched” means “watched”.
Ron…Barry is as modest as it comes, and he would disagree.
His one year was INCREDIBLE. Recall, he played behind Thurman Thomas…the same way Marcus Allen had to wait behind Charles White at USC. They both had one year
Herschel is def the best SEC player of all time. Had Dooley played him early on as a freshman, it would be even more illustrious.
Also agree with others, Bo is the best athlete to play in the SEC.
“Herschel is def the best SEC player of all time.”
Debatable.
“Bo Knows” you be wrong!
RTR!
Love Bo. Numbers don’t lie.
I was born in 1984, so my list that I’ve seen in terms of best college athlete that I vividly remember begins in the early 90s.
And for me, it’s Percy Harvin.
If a player ever deserved to be inducted on the first ballot St. Tebow is that player
Played on a God squad. Never went undefeated. Won 1 title. HOF without a doubt. Surely still one of the best to play but lets not act like the dude was out here obliterating teams. Im not taking him over VY, Manning, Frazier, Newton, Manziel, burrow, etc. He came up in a time when “mobile QB’s” were viewed as black sheep. He was a touchdown vulture. He wasn’t clutch. Without question, that Heisman trophy belonged to McFadden. He is uplifted the same way Derek Jeter. HOF hell yeah. One of the best ever for sure. Still overrated.
This is a very bad take.
Tell me where Im wrong? You taking him over Burrow? VY? Newton? You think he actually deserved the Heisman over McFadden? Not saying the dude wasn’t one of the best by any means. I just don’t think he was as good as people hype him up to be.
Over VY easily. Same with Frazier and Manziel. He was a better college QB than Manning. Cam and Burrow are the only two I would even consider taking over Tebow.
“He was a better college QB than Manning.”
I highly doubt any of the Manning’s care about that. In fact, I’m sure both of them look at their Super Bowl trophies and laugh.
You really suck at football, corn dog.
I’m starting to feel sorry for you, and I hate doing that on a sports site. Your desperate cries for attention have been heard.
@LSUSMC Manziel I think is at least debatable, so I am willing to concede that. Manning was throwing passes to Billy williams and joey kent… Ofcourse Tebow had a better career. His Wrs were gapping DBs every play. If you think he was better than VY and Frazier then it isn’t even worth discussing because you are so far outside of reality.
“I’m starting to feel sorry for you, and I hate doing that on a sports site. Your desperate cries for attention have been heard.”
Thanks for the laugh, corn dog.
Tebow won 2 national titles. As my fellow LSU fan said, I’d take Tebow behind Manning and Burrow, before before VY, Manziel, Frazier, even Newton.
“Tebow won 2 national titles. As my fellow LSU fan said, I’d take Tebow behind Manning and Burrow, before before VY, Manziel, Frazier, even Newton.’
Chris Leak was starting QB on one of those teams. You’d take him over Newton? Fine with me. Newton went undefeated and had a much better NFL career.
Tebow… not so much.
Horrific take. More to being a QB than statistics. That guy was the glue that kept a team of convicts from falling apart.
Also, what are you talking about in reference to mobile QBs being “black sheep”? College football has always valued the mobile QB. Maybe you need a history lesson.
“Never went undefeated. ”
Never beat AU either. Urban Cryer was 0-2 against AU.
So?
Can’t read good, corn dog?
I can read better than your immature self. I expect nothing less from a kid still living at home and proud to be a failure to launch.
That is a heavily underappreciated reality. I was watching his film from the Auburn games and he pretty much showed exactly what he showed the NFL… Cannot sustain drives without wide open guys and failed to score points until deep in the 4th quarter.
“That is a heavily underappreciated reality. I was watching his film from the Auburn games and he pretty much showed exactly what he showed the NFL’
He was awful against AU.
“I can read better than your immature self. ”
Elaborate, corn dog.
“I expect nothing less from a kid still living at home and proud to be a failure to launch.’
That’s all you can come up with, ma’am?
“He wasn’t clutch.”
Go back and watch the 2008 SECC game you Gump. UF trailed after three quarters, Percy didn’t play, and Tebow put the team on his back, outscored Bammer 14-0 in the 4th and won.
I remember Tebow crying like a little baby.
I remember thug Cam stealing laptops in Hogtown.
Bet you’re proud of thug Scam Newton huh?
Seems like there’s a juvenile moron on every SDS thread, congrats you are it on this one
“I remember thug Cam stealing laptops in Hogtown.”
I remember Cam winning the Heisman and championship.
“Bet you’re proud of thug Scam Newton huh?”
Yeah, so?
“Seems like there’s a juvenile moron on every SDS thread, congrats you are it on this one’
Awe, that’s no way to talk about your mom, ma’am.
He’s on lots of threads, and the moron on all.
“He’s on lots of threads, and the moron on all.”
The funniest part about your crying about me being on threads is the fact that you never actually tell me how I’m wrong.
That’s funny Ron. You troll. I’m going to leave you clueless so you can continue to give everyone a chuckle. You are the king of the straw man argument. Even when you’re right, it has nothing to do with the subject and hand. You probably can’t understand that. That’s what gives us a chuckle.
Agree with LSU, every time Ronnie shows up on a thread all we get is juvenile stupid stuff.
King Moron if you will
“Agree with LSU, every time Ronnie shows up on a thread all we get is juvenile stupid stuff.
King Moron if you will”
Could you be more hypocritical?
Ron, the Gators won the 2008 SEC championship game. You’re probably thinking of 2009, when Tebow basically carried the team the whole season since he had a bad oc in Addazio and no Harvin as well as less talented wide receivers. Plus, many respected players cry when they have given it their all and come up short.
Ronnie.
He lost a chance at an undefeated season…that hurt. No issue with that.
He went on to throw for 500+ over an undefeated Cincy team that many thought should have played for a chip.
Tebow was definitely one of the most clutch players of all time. When it mattered he made the play.
“When it mattered he made the play.”
Tebow’s tears say otherwise.
Well yeah. Lol and it caused us all so much joy. Thanks for the correction
You are all over the place with this.
I absolutely loved Tebow and he is a 1st ballot. Tommie Frazier should have been, but that is not Tim’s problem or fault! He was stud that broke passing records in high school. That said, I go with Wuerrfel and his 4 SEC titles, chip, and Heisman for UF historical perspectives as best qb.
Honestly, I tend to agree Lucuix overall on overrated in the most technical sense, except he did obliterate teams and was clutch (see the 2008 SEC chip game). Also, to say without question is not a good take. Of course there is a question…you just believe McFadden should have gotten it. I actually agree, but it wasn’t some landslide and I had no probelm with him winning it. He did things that were unprecedented at the time. In a technical sense, he was overrated as some would say he was the best ever in college and SEC. There was this guy from Wrightsville GA named Herschel to me that ends that.
God team is true…almost his entire offense was in the league…Percy, the Pounceys, Gilbert, Hernandez, Trautwein, Cooper, Caldwell, Lou Murphy, Doente Thompson, David Nelson, Chris Rainey, Cornelius Ingram got hurt or would have EASILY, Demps was a track superstar. Tebow was devastating in the spread…but who could you key on?
That said, I think people need to take some emotion out of it. I too have argued with some of my Gators who acted like his style had never been done before. Frazier (93-95) – 3 title games, FSU, Miami, UF. The FSU game, they were jobbed by phantom calls and William Floyd’s TD that wasn’t…or it would have been 3. No Heisman, but should have won one. He was a dominant college player.
Mobile qb’s were black sheep? Mike Vick and Charlie Ward would argue with that.
One of the most overrated plays in the history of sports is Jeter’s flip to throw Giambi out at the plate. He wasn’t needed and made the play closer than it was going to be had he just let the ball go.
Definitely first ballot material.
A very important attribute not mentioned yet in any of these comments is leadership. The guy made all his team mates play better and fired up the team like very few can
That was probably his very best trait. That and his 4th quarter play.
He was a great leader in college. Not so much in the NFL.
I vividly remember the Denver sports insiders regularly saying he was a distraction and did not understand the playbook. That was a rough time to be a Broncos fan.
Outside of not completely understanding the playbook, how was he a distraction? Because he was proud of being a church going guy and showed it? Not sure why they did not elaborate?
His ego was a huge distraction for a team full of veteran talents. They didn’t like that he couldn’t throw a completion or score any points in the first 3 quarters. Also it’s fine to love your religion and whatever but constantly proselytizing at your workplace is crossing the line. Especially when your performance at work is particularly subpar.
Dawg I was ok until this last sentence. That ain’t right
When are you going to get a clue. We’ve been having this conversation all day and you are the only one babbling about the NFL when the rest of us are talking about college.
Dumb, confrontational and clueless is no way to go through life dummy
Why do you cry so much?
Ron, he didn’t succeed in the NFL, but he is the only Broncos QB to win a playoff game in his first year with the team, something Elway or Manning didn’t do. Also, when he took over the starting QB job at Denver, he was able to win more than his predecessor and got them to the playoffs.
Ronnie. The article is about COLLEGE FOOTBALL let me know if I am wrong.
The article title Ronnie.
Why Tim Tebow should join the highly exclusive list of first ballot College Football Hall of Fame inductees.
Ronnie ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed give him a few more days and he may figure it out
Shouldn’t even be questioned.
The very definition of a 1st ballot inductee.
Amen Brother.
As he should he had one of the best careers as a college qb.
Best college football player I’ve ever saw play
Connor O’Gara, way to go out on a limb there buddy. Who exactly is saying Tim Tebow is NOT a first-ballot CFB HOF’er?
Maybe you could write an article advocating for Nick Saban being voted into the coach’s wing of the CFB HOF the first year he is eligible.
They might as well make an exception and vote Saban in now :) everyone knows he’s in.
As he should be.
Tebow had as good a college career as you can have. And he did it with all the limitations that were exposed later. He is still a great ambassador of the game
Say what you want about Tim Tebow. You thought he preached about his faith too much…
*
Burning cities down for BLM and teaching 2nd graders rainbow bullsh*t good.
Speaking up about your personal faith bad.
We can probably add “seen to be continuously working towards goals without complaining or blaming others, which is a large part of his appeal to Americans” in there, too.
Can I get an AMEN! Preach Brother.
Tim Tebow is a fine man and a great example for young people.
And he married a Miss Universe as well.
Well if you waited as long as he did your 1st time should be memorable.;-)
All ten seconds of it. :)
Bazinga.
Tim is def a CFHOF caliber player. I can remember the first play I ever watched where he was placed in the game and he just destroyed the defense. Amazing football player, and his career numbers show it!
I’m a lifelong Gator Hater, but Tebow should unquestionably be in the HOF. Just glad we got a W over him – few managed that.
LSU went 1-3 against UF while Tebow was there. I think he is the only opposing QB whereas I know our record against him. The one win led to a national title, so I’m good with it.
This one seems like a no brainer. You’d have to really dislike Florida to not see it.
Very true. I haven’t heard anyone come out against him. That would be an almost impossible argument to make.
There’s the wind up and the pitch….. Steeerike
youtube.com/watch?v=qvWZajk2hXE&ab_channel=czabedotcom
Definitely deserves 1st ballot.