Former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation announced Monday. Tebow is the 10th former Gators player to be enshrined.
The Jacksonville native blossomed into a household name during his time at Florida. Tebow played a key role in the Gators’ run to the 2006 national championship in his freshman season. The following year, the Florida signal caller had one of the greatest seasons in program history.
As a sophomore, Tebow became the third Heisman Trophy winner in program history, making him the first sophomore to win the trophy. He and fellow former Gators’ Heisman winners Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel are recognized with statues outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Tebow became a Heisman Trophy finalist two more times. He was also named the Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year three times and earned the William V. Campbell trophy in 2009, given to the top scholar-athlete in the country.
In his junior season, Tebow led the Gators to another national championship victory. Florida defeated the Oklahoma Sooners to claim a second title under then-head coach Urban Meyer.
By the end of his Florida career, Tebow set 28 school records. He also led the Gators to a school-record 22-game winning streak between 2008 and 2009.
After his illustrious career in Gainesville, the Denver Broncos selected Tebow in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. As a rookie, the former Gator led the Broncos to a playoff appearance and victory in the wild-card round.
He last played in the NFL during the 2012 season. Tebow played minor league baseball in the New York Mets’ system between 2016 and 2021 and has spent the last several years as a media personality with ESPN.
Contact Topher Adams at tadams@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @Topher_Adams.
Topher Adams is a fourth-year communications major and in his fourth semester with the Alligator. He previously covered football, baseball and women's basketball. He also enjoys professional lacrosse and Major League Soccer.
