Cowboys owner thinks Tebow ready for NFL
NEW YORK - Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones loves to watch tape of college football games with his scouts, and sometimes he'll even flip on a good one when he's just curious to see a certain player.
Florida's Tim Tebow, who became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, is one of those players who makes him stop, sit down and pay attention. It could be two more years before Tebow ever steps on an NFL field -- he's repeatedly said this week his plans are to stay at UF for his senior season in 2009 -- but Jones is convinced the Gators' quarterback has something special.
"I watch him a lot," Jones said last Thursday at the Home Dept Awards show in Lake Buena Vista, where Tebow won the Davey O'Brien and Maxwell awards for best college quarterback and overall player. "I watch a lot of the Southeastern Conference games, I watch a lot of college football on a tape basis that we do with our scouts and I watch a lot of it just watching the ballgames. I don't know that I've seen anybody who has the combination skills that he does and the size.
"I've seen him make game-winning decisions, I've seen him come back from adversity. Those are the kinds of things at that position you just don't know what you've got until they've stunk it up and lost one about 30-something points and has everybody talking about them and nobody talking to them in the huddle, and then come on back and have a good game. That's when you know you've got a good quarterback."
Jones is among those, however, who doesn't feel Tebow can run with the football in the NFL like he did this season on the college level, with over 800 yards and tying an NCAA record for quarterbacks with 22 rushing touchdowns.
"I think you can't move around and run continually in the NFL this day and time," Jones said. "You've got to get rid of the ball. That's asking a lot from the quarterback. We all thought (Michael) Vick with his inordinate skills could hold up, but you'd see Vick get hurt. Anybody carrying that football in the NFL is going to get hurt."
Jones, however, does compare Tebow to another NFL quarterback.
"As far as a guy who puts a lot of pressure on everybody running the ball, that can get the ball to (receivers), I would say a contemporary example would be Vince Young," Jones said.
While Tebow realizes the Heisman can change a person's image forever, he confessed prior to the ceremony on Saturday night that he wants to be known 20 or 30 years from now more for the kind of person he is. He uses 1996 Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel of Florida as an example of someone who is remembered just as much for the good things he still does with Desire Street Ministries and his religious convictions.
"I think, definitely, that will last a lot longer than 20-20 (touchdowns passing and rushing) or something like that," he said. "You want people to remember you for the way you won it. I don't think anybody besides (the media) remember how many touchdowns (Wuerffel) scored, but everybody remembers how he put his hands together and prayed, and always being humble and always with the utmost integrity and everything like that."
Wuerffel used to cup his hands and say a prayer of thanks after each touchdown pass at Florida. Tebow has done the same but has been careful in his public display.
"I have done it a few times, but I didn't do it a lot because that was Danny's thing," Tebow said. "That was kind of special for Danny. I still do it to give thanks and everything, but, I don't have to show it exactly like that."
Down the road, when his football playing days are over, he likely will copy Wuerffel in another way. Tebow's father, Bob, is a missionary in the Phillipines. Tim Tebow is seriously considering taking over his father's work some day.
"There's no doubt about it." Tebow said, of likely going into missionary work. "Hopefully he'll be doing it for awhile. But definitely (he may follow his father)."
Tebow has visited the Phillipines several times with his father and has spoken to groups and individuals there. He won't be able to go this summer, but said he's trying to work out a visit in the spring.
"I hate leaving," Tebow said. "It's a great place. I love it. We have a great relationship. One of the kids is actually named after me, so we're really close. Just all their stories are unbelievable. They'll write cards and stuff like that."
Tebow said the kids there, "know I'm a football player and they know it's really cool and stuff like that, but they don't obviously know everything."
For more articles check out David Jones of www.floridatoday.com.
