So I was as shocked as anyone when Denver decided to draft Tebow and regardlless of his college accolades, I am skeptical of his abilities to be an elite pro QB. I thought that I would do a little research, as I was not interested in what he did in college (those stats speak for themselves), but rather what people said about him the last time he made a huge transition in the sport, that being going from HS to college. I was astonished as to what I found! According to Scout.com and totalblusport.com, Tim Tebow heard MANY of the same criticisms as he is hearing now. here is a rundown.
HS Biography:
Tebow finished his career with 9,810 passing yards, 3,169 rushing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and 63 rushing touchdowns. He led Nease HS to a state title as a senior. Threw for state-record 4,286 yards and 46 TDs and rushed for 1,266 yards and 24 TDs for an 11-2 team as a junior, was third in voting for Mr. Football. Has been featured in Sports Illustrated's "Faces In The Crowd" feature. Looks like he achieved to his fullest potential in his high school carrer, acomplishing every accolade that was avaliable, including a championship....much like he did in college. He is a proven winner.
Quote from Tebow about how he will succede in the next level (college):"I'm a real open-minded person and I'd say one of my greatest strengths is listening to people and learning from them, so that I can get better. I want to work on making my reads quicker and faster, and I want to get the ball into the right hands to make plays. I just want to do everything faster." Hmmmm, this sounds alot like what he is currently saying about going into the pros. Talking about listening to McDaniels, and doing everything it takes to get better. He was true to his word then, maybe....
I think this is the kicker. The following are Tebows strengths and weaknesses as a high school player. These are the criticisms he received about his skill set pretaining to his jump from high school to college. Hang on to your hats...
Scout.com Player Evaluation:
STRENGTHS
Arm Strength
Running Ability / Mobility
Size
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Technique
A huge quarterback with a powerful arm, Tebow is a tremendous all-around athlete that would be being talked about at other positions if it weren't for a big league left arm. His mechanics will need to be refined on the college level, but he has more than enough physical tools. SAY WHAT!!! So you are telling me that this is not the first time that Tebow has been told that he needs to work on his technique?! So this is not the first time that Tebow has been told that his game needs to be refined!? This is not the first time that people suggest that he play a position other than QB!? All he did in the face of these criticisms was become the greatest college football player of all time!
Look, I am not trying to say that the transition from HS to college is the same as college to the pros, but in the face of adversity, Tebow seems to find ways to improve his game through hard work, listening to his coaches, and an elite set of physical tools. This is not the first time that Tebow has heard these kinds of knocks on his game, and I won't be surprised to see him overcome them again as a member of the Denver Broncos!
