By
John
Harris
CFN's John Harris also co-hosts with
Sean “The Cablinasian” Pendergast daily on the Sean and John Show 2-6 PM
CST on 1560 The Game, Houston, TX (www.1560thegame.com).
This is his interview with the Florida star.
Sean &
John:
Welcome back to the Sean and John Show on 1560 The Game. It is a college
football Wednesday. We are pleased to be joined by the quarterback of
University of Florida and a Heisman candidate. He has thrown 3,100 yards
this year, 29 touchdowns and rushed over 800 yards, 51 touchdowns
overall for the 9-3 Gators. We have Tim Tebow with us. How are you doing
Tim?
Tebow:
I am doing well. Thanks for having me on. It’s a pleasure.
Sean &
John:
I have heard the news last week. Let me ask you, how’s the hand?
Tebow:
It’s doing fine. It is healing, it is casted up, and it will be off in a
few weeks. It’s not a big deal; I guess that’s why God gives us two
hands.
Sean &
John:
That’s what I would tell my receivers when they dropped a pass. God gave
you two hands. Hey Tim last week Florida State’s Geno Hayes said before
the game, “Tim Tebow is going down.” But I think he misspoke, I think he
meant to say Tim Tebow is scoring touchdowns. Talk about how good it
felt to beat FSU, especially for you being a Gators fan your whole life.
Tebow:
It was the most fun I have ever had in a football game. It was my first
start against FSU and I had the chance to play the whole game in
comparison to last season. Getting a chance to play a whole lot was
awesome. It was a dream come true. I remember watching the Gators play
all the great rival games. It was awesome to experience it and I had a
lot of fun.
Sean &
John:
Last year you were a kind of a specialty guy, a great specialty guy.
There were a number of people going to this season this year that said
they weren’t going to believe in you until you prove that you could
throw the football. Do you think you have denounced the detractors with
the way you have thrown the football?
Tebow:
Well I hope so. I hope that I proven myself. We have had some success
with throwing the ball. I don’t think we have done too bad of a job.
Sean &
John:
Speaking of throwing the ball, one of the things you worked on during
the offseason, was refining your mechanics and motions. You have been
throwing the ball a certain way all your life, how difficult is it to
adapt and re-coach your body to throw the ball the way you did this
year?
Tebow:
It wasn’t too difficult. You are still throwing the same way. You just
try being more compact and shorter so you are getting the ball out there
quicker especially under the route or a short route. So it just takes
discipline and muscle memory doing it over and over again with a little
bit of practice and work we were able to achieve it. I think it was a
good change and a change for the better.
Sean &
John:
Coming out of Nease High School and the decision about where you were
going to school came down to Florida and Alabama. It appeared from the
outside looking in Florida was a no brainer. You grew up in Florida, a
Gator fan and Urban Meyer’s offense was suited to your skills. How
tough of a decision was that and do you ever think about what it would
have been like to go to Alabama?
Tebow:
Well, I do and the coaches still give me a hard time about it. It was a
really close decision between Florida and Alabama. I really like the
coaches at Alabama, the history, the pride and the passion. Some people
say Alabama is too passionate and excited about football, but that is
the way I am. I love the game so I felt at home there. But I feel like
Florida was the best decision for me. I love Florida, I love the
football here and I love Coach Meyer. So it was a good fit.
Sean &
John:
You finished the season 9-3. I know it was bit short of your goal for
the SEC championship; however, you lost some games by a total of 19
points, you had some first time starters on the field including
yourself, and an inexperienced defense. Tim, how has this football team
improved as the season wore on, especially after the UGA game?
Tebow:
We were inexperienced. We became experienced through the course of the
year. Our team has definitely grown, become a lot closer to each other
and has become a lot better. We are not the same team that played
earlier this season. We are a lot better. We are now clicking more than
ever. We have guys stepping up now. Before some were tweeners, players
between high school and college players. But now they have become
collegiate athletes. We are getting to the point where things are going
pretty well.
Sean &
John:
Your head coach Urban Meyer and your offensive coordinator Dan Mullen.
Talk about what these two coaches mean to the team and to you
personally.
Tebow:
Well, they mean a lot to me and a lot to the team. I have great
relationships with both of them. Coach Mullen, my quarterback coach, has
taught me a lot and our relationship has grown a lot in the past two
years. I think he is the best quarterback coach in college football. He
has helped me out immensely. If you look at his resume’ and what he has
done with his quarterbacks is phenomenal. I am honored to have him as my
quarterback coach and our relationship is going great. Coach Meyer is a
phenomenal coach. Coach Meyer is the reason I came to play at Florida.
He is passionate for the game and the way he motivates the team is like
nobody else and that means so much to the team. He does a great job. He
is more than a coach to the players on the team; he is like a father
figure to the players. What makes Coach Meyer a great coach isn’t the
fact that he knows his X’s and O’s, which he does, but its that he cares
about the players and making them better on the field and off the field.
Sean &
John:
Speaking of relationships did you ever get the chance to talk with
former Gators quarterback Danny Wuerffel about the expectations placed
on a University of Florida quarterback even the “H word”?
Tebow:
I have had the chance to talk to him and about the H word, I don’t know
if it’s the same word your are talking about. We talk more about
humility. He is a great guy and it has been fun getting to know him.
Sean &
John:
Well that was the word I was talking about…humility. Tim, I don’t know
what you are thinking about.
Well, we’ll stay away from using the exact word. We know the team’s
accomplishments are what motivate you above all else. However, what
would it mean to you, being in consideration for the most prestigious
award in college sports, what would it mean to bring the Trophy home to
Florida?
Tebow:
It would mean a lot and it is such an honor just to be mentioned with
that award. The opportunity to go would be a huge honor and it would
mean a lot. I grew up watching guys like Danny Wuerffel and other guys
like that who’ve won it. It would mean a lot and again it is such an
honor to be mentioned.
Sean &
John:
Tim, SEC championship this week, you played both of these teams LSU and
Tennessee. Who do you think is going to win and who do you think has the
tougher defense? I know you are going to say LSU. But do you think
Tennessee can win this game?
Tebow:
Tennessee can win this game. They have gotten better as the year has
gone along. They have a pretty good offense and it can get hot at times.
They can hang in there. But I think if LSU is able to move the ball
around on offense then they have a chance to win it. Their defense has
kept them in games all year long. Jacob Hester is just a war daddy; he
is a very tough guy. I have a lot of respect for him. I think LSU has a
little bit of the advantage.
Sean &
John:
War daddy, I like that. I want someone to call me a war daddy.
Hey, Tim any thoughts about going to the bowl game any thoughts about
going to Orlando for the Capitol One bowl or to the Outback in Tampa?
Tebow:
I haven’t even really thought about it. But you know both bowls are
good bowl games. Obviously not what we hoped, but both bowls would be an
honor to play in.