He has hijacked SportsCenter broadcasts for three years now. He turned Cortland, N.Y., a city of 19,212 people and the site of the New York Jets training camp, into a media circus.
While Tim Tebow now grabs headlines for his NFL exploits, his presence still looms large in Gainesville as the Gators prepare to kick off their third season since his exit.
His statue sits outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. He holds 28 school records and is one of UF’s three Heisman Trophy winners.
For the new freshman students, Tebow is the Gators quarterback they grew up on. For seniors, Tebow is the quarterback of the only good Florida team during their time at UF.
For the Gators, Tebow is an obstacle for future quarterbacks to overcome.
His successor — pocket passer John Brantley — struggled to adjust to the spread offense in 2010. With a new offensive scheme in 2011, Brantley continued to have issues.
When injuries derailed the Brantley’s senior season, coach Will Muschamp had to throw Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel into action too early.
Now, Brissett and Driskel are the next successors to football’s favorite virgin and a quarterback competition has ensued.
Replacing a legend is not a simple task. Muschamp has experienced this atmosphere before.
While serving as the defensive coordinator and head coach-in-waiting, the Longhorns fell on hard times without Colt McCoy. Texas is 13-12 since McCoy took his talents to Cleveland. Tebow-less Florida is only slightly better at 15-11.
“The most important thing is not comparing yourself to them, because there is only one Tim Tebow,” Muschamp said.
“Be adequate at the position you’re in at the present time and what your offense or your defense or your special teams are asking you to do. There’s no question, depending on the individual, how much pressure they put on themselves.”
Unfortunately for the Gators, students still hold the team to the Tebow standard.
As of August 12, UF student football season tickets have not been sold out for the first time since the school implemented the ticket lottery.
Wins bring people to The Swamp. And so does solid quarterback play. Brissett and Driskel don’t have the quality skill players of The Tebow Era (see: Harvin, Percy), but a record-breaking season is not a necessary component of a national championship.
Alabama and LSU have won four national titles in the last 10 years. Their quarterbacks averaged a 25 touchdowns per season. Tebow tallied 36 per year during his career.
Gators quarterbacks generated 15 touchdowns in 2011. Defenses racked up 23 sacks in 13 games, and Florida ranked 113th in turnover margin.
Florida doesn’t need a Tebowian performance from its two young signal callers.
They just need to protect the football and manage the offense.
Brissett and Driskel don’t need to earn statues outside the stadium.
They just need to win.
Contact Adam Pincus at apincus@alligator.org.
