Posted on 12/06/2007 9:31:40 AM PST by cinives
The December 3rd 2007 issue of Sports Illustrated will be of special interest to education reformers.
Next to the cover photo of Chase Daniel, the University of Missouri’s plucky quarterback, is a smaller photo of Tim Tebow.
Tebow is also a QB, but he conducts his business, not on the plains but in “the Swamp,” the football stadium at the University of Florida in Gainesville. All of 20 years old, he is a serious contender for this year’s coveted Heisman Trophy, the annual award given to the most outstanding collegiate football player in the nation.
If the strapping 6’3” 235 lb. lad wins the Heisman, he’ll be making history on several counts. First, he’s only a sophomore. Second, he is the only player in NCAA history to run and pass for at least twenty touchdowns each in one season. Third, this son of missionaries to the Philippines was homeschooled in grades K through12. The last fact, no doubt, prompted Sports Illustrated to opine that Tebow is “hardly the typical college athlete.”
Delightfully, so. Of his unique educational background, Tebow states, "I come from a large family (last of 5 children), and all my brothers and sisters were home schooled. My parents were tremendous role models throughout the process, and there were never discipline issues for us. By the time I came to the University of Florida, I felt I had great study habits and felt comfortable making the transition to classes. I think that being home schooled offered me an opportunity to also learn some life lessons, and those experiences help me while I'm on the field."
Those role models - Pam and Bob Tebow - encouraged athletics and combined farm chores with Scripture memory in their household. Mom and Dad are former University of Florida students, yet one wonders what they make of the monikers that the baby of the family (who was recruited by 80 schools) has been saddled with - “chosen one,” “the great white hope,” “Tom Cruise,” “a walking freight truck,” and “Superman.” There is even a ‘Tim Tebow Bill’ in the Alabama legislature which would afford home scholars equal access to public school sports programs and extracurricular activities.
Admittedly, the 1950s television series “Adventures of Superman” does seem to capture the spirit of Tebow Nation. Off the field, he’s the mild-mannered Clark Kent who says “Yes, Sir” to reporters, smilingly poses with orphans, talks to prison inmates, wears jorts (jean shorts), and maintains a high GPA.
But put him in a Gator uniform, sans cape, and watch out Tennessee, Kentucky, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Florida State. During a memorable gridiron confrontation with the Seminoles, Florida’s archrival, the left-handed Tebow even played with a broken right hand. A broken hand! Superman indeed.
Whenever he appears on television, sophisticated commentators gush like groupies when the camera zooms in on the T-Man, and his legion of fans are fast becoming famous for their creativity. One fella painted himself gold, sporting a #15 on his chest (Tebow’s jersey number), and struck a Heisman-like pose at a game, and the Miami Herald couldn’t help but notice the “Tim Tebow Can Stop Global Warming” sign.
Which goes to show – and without downplaying the physical stamina, commitment, and world-class talent needed to compete in Division I sports – it’s all thoroughly ridiculous. Hype in high def. But Americans have always been rather ridiculous about their football heroes, crowning those who can throw and run and catch with god-like status, and just as casually marginalizing, to the sidelines, the stars who end up in rehab or who run a dog fighting ring in their spare time.
For Tebow and his ilk, the kryptonite is hubris. From all reports, the accolades – which also include a Manning Award finalist, Davey O’Brien finalist, Academic All-American, SEC offensive player of the week – haven’t gone to Tebow’s head. But this young man, like others before him and others after him, will have to guard against the temptations that Fame dispenses like tic-tac mints. Fortunately, his parents remain involved in his life, as do his siblings, including a sister who ministers in Bangladesh. As the Rattler Gator blogger J.B. White sagely observed last year, “Luckily, he's (Tebow) the product of some fantastic home training, because his premature celebrity could have been a disastrous distraction ... ”
Since he’s a professing Christian, Tebow may have to frequently turn to another missionary - the Apostle Paul – for a pep talk. Paul, writing to another Timothy, his disciple, advised: “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” Try fitting that on a placard.
Meanwhile, Tebow’s Bunyanesque accomplishments are just another feather in the cap of the modern home education movement which, by now, has a headdress of phenomenally accomplished graduates. But if there was one canard about homeschoolers left standing, despite the plethora of evidence to the contrary, it’s the one about them being non-athletic nerds.
Tim Tebow has sacked that stereotype with Samson-like gusto.
Come to think of it, he’s also given that collegiate athlete party animal thing a rest, too.
Not to worry...she is not on his radar.
Herschel Walker was a junior.
from gatorzone...
http://gatorzone.com/football/misc.php?p=tebow/heisman
If someone has time to do the html, there are some great graphics on this page that visualize Timmy’s accomplishments. I can’t wait til tomorrow night!!!!!!
I love that pic!
Here’s a list
Doc Blanchard 1945 Junior
Doak Walker 1948 Junior
Vic Janowicz 1950 Junior
Roger Staubach 1963 Junior
Archie Griffin 1974 Junior
Billy Sims 1978 Junior
Herschel Walker 1982 Junior
Barry Sanders 1988 Junior
Andre Ware 1989 Junior
Ty Detmer 1990 Junior
Desmond Howard 1991 Junior
Rashaan Salaam 1994 Junior
Charles Woodson 1996 Junior
Jason White 2003 Junior
Matt Leinart 2004 Junior
Reggie Bush 2005 Junior
That’s almost half in the last two decades that weren’t seniors. Not much of a tradition.
http://www.heisman.com/winners/hsmn-winners.html
When was the last time the Heisman went to a 9 and 5 QB?
Tim’s a class act - thanks for this article.
That’s fantastic, but boooooooooooooy are you gonna get it from the G8r fans...
(C8
Actually, only *real* ones float. Fake ones sink, saw it on “Manswers.”
Why would it matter? The Heisman is not a team award, it is awarded based on individual performance. The team award went to Kansas last night. As for Timmy he has broken several records this year.
Tebow’s Season Accomplishments
• Maxwell Award winner (College Football Player of the Year)
• Davey O’Brien Award winner (Nation’s Outstanding Quarterback)
• Walter Camp All-American
• SEC Offensive Player of the Year (Associated Press)
• All-SEC First Team (Associated Press)
• All-SEC First Team (Coaches)
• Three-time SEC Offensive Player of the Week
• Maxwell, Davey O’Brien and Manning Award Finalist
• Two-time Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week
• ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American First-Team Selection
• Only player in NCAA Div. I history with at least 20 rushing and 20 passing touchdowns
• Tied the all-time Div. I mark for rushing touchdowns a quarterback in a single season (22)
• SEC single-season record holder in total touchdowns with 51 (29 passing, 22 rushing)
• UF single-season rushing touchdown leader (22)
• Leads the SEC in total offense (330.8) and pass effi ciency (177.85)
• First in the conference in completion percentage (68.5)
• Single-season SEC rushing touchdown record holder of any player in league history with 22
• Has a 13-game streak with at least one rushing and one passing touchdown
• Only quarterback in school history to reach the century mark in rushing yards twice
• UF record-holder in rushing attempts (27) and yards (166) in a single game by a quarterback with his effort against Ole Miss
• Set the UF single-game rushing record with fi ve touchdowns against South Carolina and tied three others in Florida history for single-game scoring accountability with seven total touchdown
Tebow in the SEC
Total Offense (330.8) 1st
Passing Efficiency (177.85) 1st
Completion Rate (68.5) 1st
Total Scoring (130) 1st
Scoring (TD’s) (11.0) 1st
Rushing Touchdowns (22) 1st
Touchdown Accountability (51) 1st
Rushing (69.8) 9th
Passing (261.0) 2nd
Tebow in the National Rankings
Rushing Touchdowns (22) 3rd
Touchdown Accountability (51) 1st
Total Offense (330.8) 7th
Passing Efficiency (177.85) 2nd
Points Responsible For (25.50) 2nd
Completion Rate (68.5) 5th
Scoring (TD’s) (11.0) T 3rd
Rushing among QB’s (69.8) T5th
Passing Yards Per Game (261.0) 22nd
You would be surprised how God is using Timmy’s testimony. I’ve heard of workplace break room conversations where people just can’t believe that he is not a party animal. He keeps his #1 priority commitment!
Matt Lienert was a junior also.
More importantly, where are all those FReepers from a thread last week who think homeschoolers should have nothing to do with public schools even tho their parents pay school taxes.
What a nice family.
The public school nazis will keel over on this one - I hope.
LOL - if it’s saline water filled, that would be more buoyant than silicone.
I wouldn’t say it’s simply from “today’s” sports drive-by media, but there is an old saying in the drive-by business that “if it bleeds, it leads”. This, sadly, doesn’t “bleed”.
It does matter. The other candidates have more passing yardage, more passing touchdowns, better TD to interception percentages. If Tebow wants to get is as a running back then admit it.
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