Alabama's Nick Saban: "I think he's one of the most outstanding leaders I've ever seen in my coaching career. Certainly played fantastic game against us in the SEC championship game last year. I think he might be one of the most outstanding players in our league. Really, you think he might be one of the most outstanding players, not in the country, not of all time, but might be in the SEC? Wow, after the way he crushed you, I would think he would get a little more respect than that. Ken Kirkley <mailto:[email protected]> MNGator
_____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2009 11:48 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [gatornews] [TideSports.com] Tebow, Florida deserve all the attention <http://www.tidesports.com/> Walsh's World http://walsh.tuscaloosanews.com/utility/tb/?id=2407161 Tebow, Florida deserve all the attention While a lot of the college football attention in Alabama will be on the Crimson Tide reporting for fall camp Wednesday, a little south of here the talk will be on the defending national champion Florida Gators. You may be sitting thinking, "Ah, not again. What is it with the love fest with the Gators?" Well, that's what happens when you win the national championship two out of three years, and head into the subsequent season as the clear favorite. Florida deserves the attention, and not just because Urban Meyer just inked a massive contract extension or the defense is returning everyone. Thank back to Media Days, when more questions were asked about quarterback Tim Tebow than all other players combined. Yet while every media outlet reported the virginity question, almost no one took notice of Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen's response to being asked about opposing his former pupil on Oct. 24. "You know what, it's going to be a real neat experience. When you spend three years of your life, when you spend more time with Tim Tebow than you do with your own wife, which I did, you get that close relationship. You know that's something that's not going to change. You know what, it's going to be a unique part of our relationship this year, where we get to go against each other. You know what, then it will probably be a growing experience for that in the future. "I don't see my relationship, my respect, my love for Tim Tebow to change because he's on the other sideline, or 10 years down the road. He's such an extraordinary young man." So many people simply think Tebow can't be this good, or is too good to be true. Go back to the SEC Championship Game when he beat Alabama. Then did the same thing against Oklahoma. There's a reason no one dared say a bad word about Tebow at Media Days. Well, that and they all have to face him one more time. Kentucky's Rich Brooks: "The one thing that probably Florida has done better than anybody, because of Tim Tebow, is they have thrown it as well as the best teams that use the spread, as well as anybody in the country. But they run it a lot better because of Tim Tebow's threat as a runner. Not just the running backs, the receiver coming in and taking it, but Tim Tebow's presence as a runner and a thrower make that offense even a more difficult thing to defend." Alabama's Nick Saban: "I think he's one of the most outstanding leaders I've ever seen in my coaching career. Certainly played fantastic game against us in the SEC championship game last year. I think he might be one of the most outstanding players in our league. Ole Miss' Houston Nutt: "The thing I love about Tim Tebow, a lot of players will say, you know what, after a loss, a big loss, they'll say, I'm going to work as hard as I can, I'm going to do this, make all these promises. What you love about Tim Tebow, not only does he make the promise, he carries it out, and he puts his team on his back. Percy Harvin, I remember there were a couple weeks he wasn't on the field. I have those words, after our game, the words he spoke to the media, I have that on my desk. I read it to my team once. It was awesome. I have an awesome respect for that." Perhaps teammate Ryan Stamper, who was a last-minute replacement that day and almost completely overlooked, put it best: "There is no man like Tim Tebow. With everything he goes through, I do not know how he handles all the pressure and media attention. Tim is a great teammate. He really cares about everyone and makes sure everyone stays on top of everything. He is our leader and we all look up to him." Already people are forgetting about South Carolina's Steve Spurrier not voting for Tebow for All-SEC, and subsequent apology, which were both blown way out of proportion. Consider what he also said: "Tim Tebow is not only the best quarterback in this league, I think he's the best in the country. I think he's the best football player in the country. What he's done there, I believe he and Danny Wuerffel will go down in history as the two best quarterbacks, maybe the two best to ever play college football. That's how good he is." I respectfully disagree. If Tebow wins either the Heisman or another national championship, or both, he'll go down as the best college football player ever, period. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
