The Tim Tebow Trials

I once heard a story about Tim Tebow  when he was at the NFL combine before he was drafted. He was in a room with a bunch of other prospects about to take the Wonderlic Test. After the instructor outlined the test, Tebow raised his voice to call for a prayer before the athletes started the test. The request was not accepted warmly, "Shut the Fuck up, Tebow!" one of the other prospects yelled. I think it was clear message to him that the NFL was not going to be like what it was at Florida.

Of the 33 left handed quarterbacks ever to play in the NFL, only 5 (Brunell, Esiason, Vick, Young) really stand out as having storied carriers. The rest are of the Jared Lorenzen and Chris Simms variety. So right away Tebow's odds of becoming a legitimate QB are against him. It just seems that something works against most left handed throwers that prevents them from becoming great QBs in the NFL. What it is, no one can say for sure, but I am sure those assholes on Sports Science will try to figure it out.

Forget the 15% odds he has for a second, the guy has one of the most unsound throwing motions I have seen in a while. He has a long slow release that is not as high as you would want it to be, causing for a lot of tipped passes at the line. He does not have a gun or throw a particularly good spiral. He never played that much under center at school nor with guys as fast as they are in the NFL. There is no real reason why he should be anything special NFL and not only do the prognosticators all seem to agree, but so did the Broncos for the start of the season. He was the 3rd string QB just two weeks ago!

Many people, myself included, have been grilling Tebow even since before he was drafted. He has not really had a sustained spot as the leader of the team, a position that excels at. Say what you want about Tebow's physical skills and his personal beliefs, the guy brings unbelievable passion to the game and has all the intangibles you could hope for in a QB. It has gotten me to think of the countless players that never had all the  physical tools you look for in a prototypical NFL player, yet still have the "it" factor. Tebow certainly showed that at Florida, and Urban Meyer never lets anyone forget it!

Keep in mind that Tebow has at least 1 passing TD in every NFL game he has played in so far. He is always a threat to run it, especially near the goaline, or at least keep the play alive long enough to let a guy break free from his defender. That can go a long way. I have gotten to the point where I am willing to give Tebow a chance. Let him prove to me that we were right all along. 

After all, you can never count a guy out who has god on his side...

-Ethan