My Take on Tim Tebow Trying to Rejoin the NFL

The sports media world is abuzz with the news of Tim Tebow's signing of a one-year contract as a tight end with the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League.  That his former college coach and close mentor Urban Meyer just got the job as that franchise's head coach is the obvious reason. Tebow is the kind of player who is useful, but only in certain roles within certain offensive sets...something Josh McDaniels knew back when he had his Denver Broncos draft him as quarterback in the first round back in 2010 before being fired at the end of that dismal season, thereby immediately putting Tebow's status with the club in limbo when the new incoming owner, John Elway...along with new coach John Fox...didn't share the former coach's enthusiasm for his talents.  In spite of this Tebow performed admirably as the Broncos' starting QB for the final three regular season games in 2010 and then picked up a last-place team the following year and led them to the division title and a dramatic first-round playoff win against hated Pittsburgh.  For this Elway had him traded the next year to the New York Jets, a team that was already committed to its own starting quarterback Mark Sanchez.  Although Tebow acquitted himself well in the very few playing chances he had there, he was let go after the season.  Then the following summer he practiced with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, who cut him just before the season.  After failing to make the Philadelphia Eagles team, Tebow tried his hand at professional baseball but never made it to the majors.  He's now ten years older from that miraculous 2011 season with Denver, but still seems to be in good shape and of course during the intervening years has not had the cumulative physical wear and tear on his body he otherwise would have if he had been playing football all that time.  As expected, the naysayers in the sports media are outraged at Tebow's signing, some pointing to other players they say should have had another chance before Tebow.  As for my opinion, I rooted for him back in the University of Florida years when he won the Heisman Trophy as well as two national championships with Meyer for the Gators, but always felt that he tended to be idolized too much by his fans while doing nothing to dissuade them.  Still, I wanted him to be successful in the pros and thought that the Broncos and Jets didn't give him a proper chance to succeed.  On the other hand...unlike now...in those years Tim Tebow had stubbornly insisted on only being a starting quarterback and wasn't flexible (or humble) enough to consider other positions like running back or (now) tight end.  I said back then that he would have been tremendously successful both as a runner, in the style of the Dolphins' Hall of Famer Larry Csonka, as well as a player blocking for others.  I wish him well, but I also hope his more vocal supporters will back off and just let him play the game without booing and screaming for him to be put in as quarterback.  Maybe he won't make the cut this year either, but I'm with him going for this opportunity...