Tim Tebow is the greatest Gator of the 2000s. But where does he rank among peers?
Tim Tebow is the greatest Gator of the 2000s. But where does he rank among peers?
The Florida Gators football program has a storied history of producing some incredible talent on the collegiate gridiron, but the greatest ever — and certainly, the most popular ever — was quarterback Tim Tebow, who was part of two of UF's three national championship rosters.
Recently, The Athletic published a series of articles ranking players, coaches and teams since the turn of the millennium, including Bruce Feldman's top 25 players of the 2000s. Among those named on his list was Tebow, who was the only member of the Orange and Blue to be mentioned.
Well, not exactly.
It is worth noting that the top player in these rankings was also a Gator at one point — quarterback Cam Newton. However, he was kicked out of school due to an incident involving a stolen laptop and did not become the big-time player he matured into until after leaving Gainesville.
So, where does Florida's Heisman Trophy-winning gunslinger rank among his peers over the past 25 years? Feldman puts him in the top 10 at No. 8, between ninth-ranked multi-talented Travis Hunter of the Colorado Buffaloes and seventh-ranked Vince Young of the Texas Longhorns.
Here is what The Athletic had to offer on Tebow.
No. 8: Tim Tebow
Career: 9,285 yards, 66.4%, 88 TDs, 16 INTs, 170.8 rating; 692 rushes, 2,947 yards, 57 TDs
Best season: 2007; 3,286 yards, 66.9%, 32 TDs, 6 INTs, 172.5 rating; 210 rushes, 895 yards, 23 TDs
"The H-back-sized quarterback was a force, bulldozing his way upfield as a runner while also spreading the field to take advantage of the Gators' speed and weapons. Tebow helped Florida win the 2006 national title as a change-up runner behind Chris Leak. The next year, it was his show. UF went 9-4, but he won the Heisman by accounting for 55 total touchdowns," Feldman notes.
"In 2008, he led Florida to another national title, throwing 16 touchdowns and no picks over the final six games. He was the face and leader of a talented but volatile locker room. It made for an interesting mix, but they won a ton of games and he put up eye-popping stats. The 6-3, 235-pound lefty had one of the most prolific careers in college football history, going to New York as a Heisman finalist three times."
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