Tim Tebow an Asset to NFL Football

In spite of the fact that I am a long-time Gainesville resident and root for my University of Florida Gators team, I am not exactly what you might call a fan of Tim Tebow...at least not to the extent that many others are.  Not that I have anything personally against the man, you see.  As far as I can tell, there aren't enough people in professional football with the kind of character and positive attitude that he consistently displays, and often under very stressful circumstances.  And I agree with the bigshot highly-played professional media sports analysts who point out his deficiencies in the quarterback position. Slowness in reading opposing defenses on the field and often wild inaccuracy in passing are probably Tebow's two main, glaring faults.  I've heard some critics also say that his footing and arm motions aren't up to par with other quarterbacks in the National Football League.  Maybe that's all true, but I do know one thing about him that others seem determined to overlook: Tim Tebow is a winner.

Football is a team sport and involves players combining their own particular skills in concert with each other to achieve victory.  Tim Tebow is an exhorter and somehow gets his teammates on the field together playing with fervency and a belief that they will prevail.  In 2011, the only year he was allowed to consistently start as quarterback, he led his Denver Broncos from their division's cellar to its championship...and then defeated defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh in the first round of the playoffs.  Then a few weeks later he was summarily traded away to the Jets, who subsequently squandered their investment and then let him go.  Now he's with New England and he may or may not make the final team roster at the end of the exhibition season.  His passing statistics have never been good, but he is a clutch player who takes charge in close games and pulls out improbable win after win.  He is more a throwback to the old days of football that allowed for more of a diversity in talents. I remember the 1969 Minnesota Vikings who had as quarterback an incredibly erratic passer in Joe Capp: all they did that year was go to the Super Bowl!  But Tebow has an added threat to defenses that his critics sell him short on: he is a strong, punishing runner who reminds me of the Miami Dolphin great Larry Csonka. 

I remember one game last year when Tebow, while playing for the Jets at home, was sent in for a play and burst through the opposing defense, gaining a swath of yardage and putting his team on the verge of a touchdown.  Right after the play, he was on fire with enthusiasm, pumping up and exciting the entire stadium in the process. Then he was promptly removed to the sidelines, starting QB Mark Sanchez came back in, and the drive completely fizzled out...not to mention the enthusiasm of the stadium fans.   

That's not how you handle an asset like Tim Tebow.