I am not going to pretend to be a huge Tim Tebow fan. I never followed him much in college, I do not own a Tebow jersey, and I most definitely do not believe he is the “second coming of Jesus.” That’s silly. I’m also not here to make an argument that he will one day be the greatest quarterback in NFL history or anything along those lines. All I’m saying is that everyone should give the guy a break.
Even before Broncos fans saw Tebow as their Savior, it was Florida that was incredibly excited to have a kid of his talent. Mind and arm of a quarterback and the body of a fullback? This kid was a gold mine. And you know what? In his time at Florida he exceeded all expectations, finishing his college career with 88 touchdowns, 9,286 passing yards and only 15 interceptions. Oh yeah–and by the way, he also found time to rush for 2,947 yards and an additional 57 touchdowns.
Yes, everyone knows these stats and the immediate argument is that those are his college numbers and he will never be able to compete at the NFL level. Because any college student with a laptop obviously has the skills to be an NFL scout. (Yes, I am completely aware of how hypocritical I am right now. I’ll find a way to sleep at night.)
I’ll give you this. In his first few games this year, he has not looked very sharp when throwing the ball, and that’s putting it as nicely as I possibly can. People look at his numbers thus far and say that it proves he will not be a good NFL quarterback.
First off, simmer down, it’s been six games and the dude has a 3-3 record. And secondly, let’s take a look at a few quarterbacks throughout history and see how Tebow compares to them in their first six games:
Tim Tebow: 71-148, 987 yards, 10 TD, 4 INT
Peyton Manning: 113-210, 1364 yards, 6 TD, 14 INT
Brett Favre: 131-208, 1424 yards, 8 TD, 2 INT
Drew Brees: 98-165, 1064 yards, 7 TD, 4 INT
I’m sorry, but Tebow’s numbers look pretty good next to those legends. With all the stats and tests and film that are out there, there is no way to tell for sure who is going to be a successful quarterback. Tebow’s cause is not hopeless, and with a little more time, he has the potential and to become just as legendary as any of these quarterbacks.
I am not a Tebow fanatic, but I am completely okay with sitting back and seeing how the guy does throughout his career. I say we all just relax, grab some pizza and enjoy some football.