The UF Student Body has a graduation present for its beloved quarterback — a digital yearbook signed by 1,000 of his greatest admirers in the form of a new Web site.
The site, which was launched by two UF students, is called DearTimTebow.com, and is a compilation of thank-you posts expressing gratitude toward Tim Tebow and all he has done for the Gators over the past four years.
After Saturday night’s loss to the University of Alabama, Facebook lit up with bittersweet statuses by UF students who wanted to share their grief over the game and convey their appreciation for the team’s efforts.
Dozens of Facebook groups popped up in the aftermath of the game, including one titled “We love you, Tebow, thanks for the memories,” which has more than 17,000 members. The group’s wall is flooded with warm wishes and romantic confessions for Tebow.
Matt Hobbs, a senior marketing major, snapped out of the post-loss depression quickly enough to seize an opportunity to provide a cohesive medium for students to post thank yous to Tebow and the rest of the team.
Less than an hour after the game ended, Hobbs bought the domain name and called his friend Joel Hackman, a senior economics major, to ask him if he would design the site. Hackman is the webmaster, founder and co-owner of Gator Tutoring.
Since Hobbs knew so many people idolize Tebow not only as a football player but also as a role model, he wanted to create a global forum where people could share their admiration.
“The world needs someone to stand out and embody good things,” Hobbs said. “Tebow represents goodness for The Gator Nation. He is a role model to anyone out there who wants to be a college football player.”
The Web site is in early development stages and currently has almost 100 posts after three days, but the creators hope to reach 1,000 posts by the end of the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
Their goal is to have Tebow read the kind words of his classmates and fans after he plays his last game as a Gator.
“I think he holds a special place for seniors who have spent all four years with him here,” Hackman said. “Every fall was defined by his performance. He was a star freshman year, and he’s still a star today.”
