Tag: Tim Tebow

College Gameday/SEC Nation predict Florida-Kentucky winner

Moments before the Florida and Kentucky game kicked off, the College Gameday and SEC Nation crews submitted their predictions for the game.

Moments before kickoff on Saturday, the College Gameday and SEC Nation crews made their picks for the Florida-Kentucky game.

On ESPN, Desmond Howard, guest picker and actors Ken Jeong and Pat McAfee were all in on Florida, while Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit took the home-team Kentucky Wildcats.

“Man, this is going to be a grudge matchup,” Howard said. “I’m talking about a hard-fought fistfight.”

McAfee added that he expected a big day from Trevor Etienne.

SEC Nation’s crew was also split. Tim Tebow picked Florida to win, but Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper and Jordan Rodgers all went with Big Blue.

They all noted that Kentucky being at home gave them an edge, and it’s a fair point considering Florida’s only loss came on the road against Utah. This is a young Gators team that could easily show its age early on.

Hopefully, Tebow is right, though, and the Gators prove that beating Tennessee wasn’t a fluke.

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WATCH: Tim Tebow talks 2023 Florida-Kentucky matchup

The SEC Nation crew is in Lexington for the Florida-Kentucky matchup, and that means that means Gators legend Tim Tebow in town. Here’s what he had to say about the rivalry.

SEC Nation is in Lexington for the Florida-Kentucky matchup on Saturday, and Gators legend Tim Tebow talked to the press on Friday about the rivalry.

Kentucky Sports Radio posted portions of the interviews, including a lengthy section from Tebow, who played in the rivalry years ago.

“There have been a lot of incredible games,” Tebow said. “I know the streak went for a long time, and there are a lot of fans here that were happy when it ended. I can remember the games back in the day. I remember Chris Doering’s touchdown from Danny (Wuerffel).

“Every game that I played here, and at home, was very competitive. One got a little bit out of hand but always competitive.”

Tebow added that he expects Saturday’s contest to be another tough battle. He pointed to both teams’ ability to stop the run as something to watch. Whichever team breaks through on the ground could end up taking the whole thing. Possession time will be key, and the Gators have to score to win.

“Field goals won’t win it,” Tebow said. “Touchdowns are going to win this thing. I think that really starts with who can control the line of scrimmage.”

Tebow didn’t give a prediction on Friday, telling reporters to watch SEC Nation for his pick. Our guess is that he’ll give a Gator chomp and surprise absolutely no one.

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SEC Nation will be in Lexington for Week 5 Florida-Kentucky game

Laura Rutledge won’t be on hand this week, but Tim Tebow and the rest of the SEC Nation crew will be in Lexington for the Florida-Kentucky game on Saturday.

The SEC office announced that the SEC Network’s traveling pre-game show, SEC Nation Presented by Dr Pepper, will emanate from Lexington during Week 5 — the site of the Florida-Kentucky games scheduled for noon on Saturday.

Unfortunately, University of Florida alumna Laura Rutledge won’t be hosting the show this week as she continues her Monday Night Football reporting assignments. Rutledge is set to return to the broadcast on Oct. 7.

Marty Smith will guest-host the Week 5 edition of the show. Smith also hosts Marty & McGee Presented by Old Trapper before SEC Nation airs, starting at 9 a.m. EDT.

Of course, Gators legend Tim Tebow will appear on SEC Nation this week alongside Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper and Jordan Rogers. Although the game won’t be at the Swamp, it’s always fun to see Tebow pick the Gators while on the road.

Florida is looking to avoid a three-game losing streak to Kentucky, which would be a first since the 1950s if it happened. After winning the previous 31 contests without stumbling, the Gators have dropped three of their last five to the Wildcats.

UK enters the weekend undefeated, but this is a revenge game of sorts for Florida. No wonder SEC Nation is showing up.

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Tim Tebow visits Auburn ahead of season opener

The former Gator provided words of encouragement to the Tigers.

Former Florida Gators quarterback [autotag]Tim Tebow[/autotag] took some time this week to stop by Auburn’s training camp to deliver a speech to the team ahead of their season opener on Sept. 2 vs. Umass.

While Tebow never beat Auburn during his illustrious Heisman Trophy-winning college career, his accomplishments as a football player, motivational speaker, author, and even baseball player, inclined Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] to give him a call.

In a video released by Auburn’s official Football account on X (formerly known as Twitter), Tebow implores the young Auburn men to go the extra mile, putting in extra work to find moments that will differentiate themselves from other teams across the country.

“What are the differentiating moments for you? Is [it] that you are actually passionate, meaning when it gets hard, this is where I want to be different.. I want to suffer so I can be the best, so we can be the best, meaning you care so much for something you’re willing it suffer for it.”

That message is essential for an Auburn team with transfers starting at nearly every positional group. While the long offseason of two-a-days and camps certainly gave the team time to bond, the grind of an SEC season is entirely different.

It may sound cheesy, but if this Auburn team is going to do something special, they will need to be willing to sacrifice for each other.

Tebow also let the Swamp know where his loyalty lies after Auburn posted the video on Twitter, poking fun at himself for never beating the Tigers as well.

Auburn’s season kicks off one week from today in when the Tigers welcome the UMass Minutemen to Jordan-Hare.

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How recent repeat Heisman Trophy attempts have fallen short

USA TODAY Sports takes a look at recent Heisman winners who failed to repeat.

The Heisman Trophy, the most revered award in college football, is given out annually to the player who is deemed the best in the sport that season. While the honor is an individual one, the performance of the team around that player almost always plays a significant role in their selection as well.

The last member of the Florida football program to win the Heisman is quarterback Tim Tebow, who earned the award in 2007 when he was a sophomore — the first college sophomore ever to win at the time. Interestingly, Tebow took the trophy in what was a down year for the Gators in between their two national championships.

USA TODAY Sports Scooby Axson took a look at how recent repeat attempts to win a second Heisman have fallen short, including Tebow. Here is what he had to offer on the possibly the greatest Gators football player to ever wear the Orange and Blue.

Tebow’s Gators lost four games the year he won the Heisman, but his stats were too good to ignore. He rushed and passed for 55 total touchdowns on the year and was the first sophomore to take home the award. Tebow returned to the Gators for the 2008 season, leading the Gators to the BCS title game, finishing third in the Heisman voting behind Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy despite having the most first-place votes. He also came back for his senior season in 2009, leading the Gators to a 13-1 record and finished fifth in the voting.

Also included on the list is Oklahoma Sooners‘ Jason White (2003), USC Trojans‘ Matt Leinart (2004), Sooner Sam Bradford (2008), Alabama Crimson Tide‘s Mark Ingram (2009), Texas A&M Aggies‘ Johnny Manziel (2012), Florida State Seminoles’ Jameis Winston (2013), Louisville Cardinals’ Lamar Jackson (2016) and ‘Bama’s Bryce Young (2021).

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Meyer, Tebow featured in upcoming Netflix documentary on Florida football

Netflix released a trailer for its upcoming Untold: Swamp Kings documentary focused on the Urban Meyer-era Florida Gators, and it looks like must-see TV for any UF fan.

The Urban Meyer years at the University of Florida produced some of the most memorable moments in program history, both good and bad.

Netflix’s Untold series is dedicating a chunk of its third season (Vol. 3) to the “Swamp Kings,” and a preview for the upcoming release reveals that Meyer and Tim Tebow will be featured in the documentary.

Untold: Swamp Kings is scheduled to debut on Aug. 22, according to the site. Unlike the other three roughly hour-long episodes in the series, the Gators’ story will be told over four 45-minute episodes.

“At Gator football, there’s no second-place trophies,” coach Meyer says before ending the preview with, “this is going to be un-expletive-believable.”

It’s almost a guarantee that Meyer and Co. won’t be laying all the cards on the table, but that era of Gator football had so much going that even 25% of the dirt would make for good television.

The other three episodes in the series will focus on Jake Paul, a YouTuber turned boxer; legendary Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and his party-boy lifestyle, and Victor Conte’s infamous doping scandal that involved Barry Bonds and track-and-field legends Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery.

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The best player to ever wear No. 15 for the Broncos was …

Jim Turner, Marlin Briscoe and Brandon Marshall are among the players who have worn No. 15 for the Broncos. Who was the best to wear it?

There are several candidates for the title of best player to ever wear No. 15 for the Denver Broncos.

Former quarterback Tim Tebow had a memorable two-year run with the team from 2010-2011, helping the club win a Wild Card playoff game.

Fellow quarterback Marlin Briscoe played just one season in Denver in 1968, but it was a historic season. Briscoe became the first Black quarterback to start in pro football’s modern era. He threw 14 touchdown passes in 1968, which still stands as a franchise rookie record. Briscoe died at age 76 last year.

Former wide receiver Brandon Marshall played in Denver from 2006-2009. In four seasons, Marshall earned two Pro Bowl nods. He totaled 327 receptions for 4,019 yards and 25 touchdowns in 61 games with the Broncos. Marshall later spent time with seven other teams and finished his career with 12,351 receiving yards and 83 touchdowns.

Another candidate is former kicker Jim Turner, who played in Denver from 1971-1979. After winning a Super Bowl and earning two Pro Bowl nods with the New York Jets, Turner played the final nine years of his career with the Broncos. He ranks third on Denver’s all-time scoring list with 742 points. Turner, a member of the Broncos’ Ring of Fame, died at age 82 last month.

So, who was the best player to ever wear No. 15 for the Broncos? Share your opinion by voting in the poll below!

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Tim Tebow is now a co-owner of a minor-league hockey team

Former Bronco quarterback Tim Tebow now co-owns a minority stake in a Lake Tahoe-based ECHL hockey team.

Former Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow was a two-sport athlete in baseball and football. Now, he will be a co-owner of a minor-league hockey team.

The team will be located in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and part of the ECHL. The expansion franchise will be the 29th team in the league and will start playing in 2024-25.

Tebow actually already owns minority stakes in two other ECHL teams: the Savannah Ghost Pirates and the Jacksonville Icemen.

“It is an honor and a privilege to steward this new franchise for the community,” Tebow’s co-owner, Dave Hodges, said in a statement. “Tim and I are excited to be able to share this new team with the community. We look forward to engaging the fans as we name the team, design the logos and eventually drop the puck in October of 2024.

“We believe in the power of sports to bring communities together and there’s no better place than the South Lake Tahoe region. With this new ECHL team, we’re committed to delivering unforgettable games, making lasting memories and impacting this community positively.”

Tebow played for the Broncos from 2010-2011, posting an 8-6 win-loss record as a starter.

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Tim Tebow to own minor league hockey expansion team

Tim Tebow is dipping his toes into the ice hockey realm.

Former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback [autotag]Tim Tebow[/autotag] is poised to become the owner of an expansion team in the ECHL — formerly known as the East Coast Hockey League — the minor league hockey circuit announced Monday.

The Florida alumnus will own the Lake Tahoe team in conjunction with David Hodges of Hodges Management Group LLC, which operates in multiple industries including automotive dealerships, real estate investment and insurance.

The name of the expansion team, which would begin play in 2024-25 in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, is still to be determined at this juncture.

“I love that sports can bring people together from all over to enjoy camaraderie, competition, and community impact,” Tebow said in a statement. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be part of a group bringing hockey to the Tahoe area for fans and families to create memories for years to come.”

The team will be operated by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, which also operates the Jacksonville Icemen and the Savannah Ghost Pirates. Under ECHL rules, an ownership group is permitted to operate multiple franchises.

The team will compete at the Tahoe Blue Events Center, an arena with 4,200 seats due to open later in July. Lake Tahoe would supplant Boise, Idaho, as the westernmost active market in the ECHL, which has formerly included teams in multiple western cities including Las Vegas, Phoenix and San Diego.

The ECHL included 28 teams in the just-completed 2022-23 season, won by the Florida Everblades, and is already due to add a franchise for 2024-25 in Athens, Georgia.

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Tim Tebow takes shot as minor-league hockey team owner

Tim Tebow will become a co-owner of an ECHL franchise in Lake Tahoe

The NFL didn’t pan out for Tim Tebow. Neither did MLB for the Heisman winner from the University of Florida. Next up, ice hockey.

Tebow is going to be a co-owner of an ECHL franchise located in Lake Tahoe, NV.

The team — yet to have a nickname — will start play in the 2024-25 season.

“I love that sports can bring people together from all over to enjoy camaraderie, competition, and community impact,” said Tebow, who already has minority stakes in the Savannah Ghost Pirates and Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be part of a group bringing hockey to the Tahoe area for fans and families to create memories for years to come.”

The co-owner is Dave Hodges, who is the chairman and CEO of Hodges Management Group and founder/owner of 925 Partners.

“It is an honor and a privilege to steward this new franchise for the community,” Hodges said. “Tim and I are excited to be able to share this new team with the community. We look forward to engaging the fans as we name the team, design the logos and eventually drop the puck in October of 2024. We believe in the power of sports to bring communities together and there’s no better place than the South Lake Tahoe region. With this new ECHL team, we’re committed to delivering unforgettable games, making lasting memories and impacting this community positively.”

The Lake Tahoe franchise will be the 29th team in the league.