Hand-written message on wristband shows how Mac Jones used a Tim Tebow message to stay composed

Florida legend and SEC Network analyst Tim Tebow inspired countless youth football players across the country when he dazzled crowds with the Gators. Count Alabama QB Mac Jones in that group, and this hand-written and personal message shows why.

Andy Staples of The Athletic shared a message Jones used to have on his wristband playcard where Tebow’s influence helped Jones remain composed.

“Mac Jones go hard, be raw like Tebow gunna win this game. Whatever happens, Lead, always smiling in good and bad times of the game. We ready for y’all. If you fumble get back up and laugh and say you got this. Knock somebody down and pick him up again.”

Jones, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, had every reason to want to be like Tebow, another Jacksonville-area native, and he shared with the SEC Network’s “SEC This Morning” on Monday how that came about.

“Growing up I used to love Tim Tebow and the Gators pretty much” Jones said. “But I never got a chance to go there and I think coming to Alabama and seeing this campus was great because I was unfamiliar with Alabama, but I was also committed to Kentucky for a while. So there was a bunch of schools that I visited and got a good feel for.

“My parents did a great job trying to let me see everywhere that I wanted to see and at the end of the day, Coach Saban and Alabama was the easiest decision for me.”

In this case, BLT stands for Be Like Tebow.

In Pop Warner, Mac Jones wrote this on the back of his wristband play card to help him channel a competitiveness that — back then — could get out of control.

Now Alabama’s starter, he’s PLT (Playing Like Tua). https://t.co/f5JNod5gLN pic.twitter.com/4YLqEPcBmY

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) October 8, 2020

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.