GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Tim Tebow has again done the impossible. He didn't just unveil a new passing motion Wednesday, he unveiled a new body.This one isn't cut in half like a magician's trick gone terribly wrong. That was just one of the many issues Tebow faced just five weeks ago.
"He was so disconnected, his lower and upper body at the Senior Bowl," said NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock.
It's always easier to impress scouts when your upper and lower torsos are attached. And in the most anticipated Pro Day in world history, Tebow showed he is definitely getting himself together.
He's not ready to apply for membership in the Manning family yet. But Tebow's passing mechanics have improved so fast, I couldn't help wonder why he couldn't have done it sooner? He could have. But all of Urban Meyer's horses and all of his men didn't try to put Tebow together again.
The question is, should they have? It certainly would have made Wednesday less of an all-consuming mystery.
When was the last time 3,000 people showed up to watch a pro day? It was a mix of media, fans, coaches and scouts. ESPN had live cut-ins. Congress probably suspended trying to pass health care to see if Tebow could pass a football.
He was 46 of 48 during passing drills, according to my unofficial count. That meant nothing, since Venus de Milo could go 46 of 48 throwing to uncovered receivers. The real news was that Tebow has shortened his passing motion, improved his footwork and delivered his message to the NFL: "I wanted to show I'm very coachable. What you want is what I'm going to do. That's what I did at Florida, and that's what I'm going to do."
So why didn't Florida try to coach him out of his bad habits?
"They did exactly what they had to do," Mike Holmgren said. "Tim did exactly what he had to do. And I can't imagine a better college experience than what he had right here."
Isn't college supposed to prepare students for the real world?
Professors can only do so much, and Florida's spread offense will never maximize a quarterback's NFL prospects. But Tebow is the ultimate willing and eager pupil, and Prof. Meyer only tinkered with his passing form.
The Gators didn't want to force anything, fearing the experiment would blow up and ruin their meal ticket. But have you ever heard of any quarterback suddenly turning into Steve Sax, unable to hit a receiver standing on first base?
At worst, Tebow would have reverted into his loop-the-loop style and kept completing 66 percent of his passes. At best, he might have improved to the point where he wasn't devoured by Alabama's NFL-ready defense.
We're talking Tim Tebow here. He was the Senior Bowl's designated laughingstock. Now the NFL is reportedly inviting him to attend the draft. If he can improve that much in five weeks, what could he have done in four years if Florida had tried?
"There's still a lot of room for improvement."
- Tim Tebow "He makes you tired just watching him work out," said Zeke Bratkowski, one of the coaches who has been tutoring Tebow.
His critique of Wednesday's performance: "I was very happy," Bratkowski said.
Not everybody was drinking the Tebow Kool-Aid, and with Tebow you know it would only be Kool-Aid. Even Tebow wasn't totally sold.
"There's still a lot of room for improvement," he said.
Yep, but the Venus de Tebow showed even the most critical skeptic that he can improve. All he needs is the proper coaching.
"I always knew I could get a quicker release and do some things," Tebow said. "But I don't necessarily know if it was the right time after the championships to do that. I don't know that that was the goal. The goal was to complete passes, win games and score touchdowns."
He did a lot of that at Florida Field, and Wednesday was his final athletic performance at the stadium. He has nothing but good things to say about his time at Florida.
He can say it's a great place to become a cult hero. He can tell people to go there if they want to win.
But if they go to Florida wanting to play quarterback in the NFL, they might as well cut themselves in half.
Comments (Page 1 of 2)
"OVER RATED "
Just like Pete Carroll, I see Kiffin is buying the best players that money can buy, while the NCAA turns their heads. Shame on them.
I am not anti Tebow or anything, but answer me this: Why now? Why wasn't he "coached" three years ago to do what is fundamentally correct? Why didn't he attempt to change then if he apsired to be a "pro". I don't understand. Are these college coaches even the least bit "concerned" with their players' long range goals? Do the coaches even have the "know how" to teach them? I am an OSU fan, but Tebow is a special kid. Why only now?
College football coaches, in the largest programs, are paid millions of dollars a year. They are paid that money so that they bring back winning seasons, bowl victories, and of course national championships. They are not paid money to help individual players with their aspirations for NFL stardom. Especially when you consider how many players on the team are not headed into the NFL.
Listen folks. College programs are concerned for THEIR success, not how their players might perform in the NFL. Obviously Tebow did GREAT for Florida. He met their goals and his for his university. I firmly believe he will be excellent in the NFL. Lots of QB's coming out of college have all kinds of problems. But rest assured that Tebow's work ethic will greatly enhance his performance in the pros. If someone can change for success, certainly Tebow is one of them above virtually all others.
If you look at other programs like Texas and what they did with Vince Young to develop him into an OK passer and what Ohio State is trying to do with Terrell Prior and change his motion and proficiency... there are programs out there looking out for the player's futures.
Bad example right now with all the bad press, but Oregon has steadily been changing Massoli's (SP?)throwing motion as well.
What this tells you, Pope Urb is selfish and really only cares about himself. If Tebone becomes a successful NFL Qb he should have the nads to say it wasn't a result of Urb's coaching, but he won't.
Vince Young and Terrell Prior, "OK Passers"? Are you kidding? They are not passers at all, just running backs. However it is not politically correct to say anything about them. They all critique Tebow. Where were all these experts at when Oakland drafted Jamarcus Russell #1. What a joke!!!
WHO CARES!!!!!!! If he's that great then how come he is not considered the #1 draft pick?????? Because everyone knows he is garbage..... Nobody wants to say that because they have to be politically correct.... Tebone will never start in the NFL.. ie Brady Quinn, Matt Linehart, Ryan Leaf......
Comparing Tim Tebow to Terrel Pryor or
Vince Young is like comparing Wally Szerbiak to Kenyon Martin! Get my point? Same deal, same goal, same results!If it aint there, it aint there!!Get real.Deal with it Bubba!!!
The team who drafts Tebow is gonna look like the smartest guys in the biz! He will be great in the pros...................u mark my words
I agree with G-man and cu75, college coaches are responsible for the success of their team and their program, not the future pro prospects of their players. If the two coincide, great, but if not, the coach is paid by the school, not the NFL, so the schools interests come first. Besides, Tebow was phenomonally successful at Florida. Would it have been a productive investment of time to work on parts of Tebows game that obviously werent necessary for the teams success? How much better could he have been as a college QB with a better throwing motion and better footwork? Any improvement would have probably been negligible in relation to the amount of time spent working on it.
I really have no idea if Tebow will make it as a QB in the NFL, but I would hate to bet against a player with his work ethic, desire and commitment. I wish him luck and look forward to watching his NFL career unfold.
John Daly was able to win two major championships on the PGA tour with his "loop-the-loop," long, late-delivery golf swing with a body style that's not even in the same galaxy with Tebow's, and no one tried to undo and subsequently re-do his swing. I don't understand why we are nitpicking this young man, because whether he is NFL-worthy or not, he is an exceptional person that will be a huge fan draw and should be a role model for us all.
I hope Tebow makes all you people look like fools. Why talk all that smack about the guy anyway? He has done more with his college career than most other QB's. I hope my team gets him and he starts. You people might be surprised. Bunch of haters...thats all you are. The world is full of 'em nowadays.
You guys can "hope against all hope" that you have found a savior but the fact is the guy will never do much in the NFL. Even his workout at his home field with his twisting and attempt at showing agility looked ackward to me. His "quick feet" look quick enough to be a tight end. That long looping throwing motion is what it is and as soon as he gets flushed out of the pocket he will revert to it and a linebacker will intercept it!
And what pro team are you a coach for ???
Tebow's parents are already cashing in. Just this Tuesday they gave a talk in Boca Raton, Florida for $50 per person.
Another thing people don't realize is that College Coaches are very limited in how much time they can spend with the players in practice. all of the off season practice is player run as are the workouts. The coaches haev to use the time they have to put in plays and work on route running and timing. THere is not much time for quarterback technique. Florida did change Tebow's technique in his freshman year - there was a whole show about it on ESPN - but he more or less reverted back in his Junior and Senior Year.
Any highschool kid who wants to be a pro-quarterback should consider Florida because he will play with top flight wide receivers against the best defenses in the country.
John Brantley will be the true test of what success a top notch NFL style qb can expect to have at Florida.
What a lot of people forget is that the coaches are VERY limited in the amount time they can coach a player in the off season. Is 8 hours a week enough to do a make over on his trowing motion? IMHO, this is blown WAY out of proportion. Every Q-Back coming out of college has flaws. Peyton, Farve all had there detractors coming out. It's not like when they come out of college, this is as good as they'll be. Look at Kurt Warner & Tom Brady - scouts MUST have thought they had flaws considering were they were drafted - or not drafted at all.
During Tebows recruiting it was between Alabama and Fla and of course he chose Fla but had he chosen Bama he would be ready for the pros without
all the doubts. Take notes future recruits. Choose Bama. You saw what Bamas NFL style defense did to Tebow. If you want to play beyond college you should choose The Crimson Tide!