Iconic Tebow headlines 2020 Hall of Fame class

GAINESVILLE – Former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow won two national titles and a Heisman Trophy to earn himself a statue and a place in the football program’s exclusive Ring of Honor.

Tebow soon will have a spot in the the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Tebow headlines an impressive nine-member 2020 class, the University of Florida F Club and Gator Boosters Inc. announced Monday morning.

Former UF basketball coach Billy Donovan also will be recognized as an honorary letterwinner. He coached the Gators to backto-back national championships in 2006 and 2007, steered the program to four Final Four appearances (2000, 2006, 2007, 2014) and posted 16 consecutive 20-win seasons.

The 2020 Hall of Fame class led various UF programs to five national titles, 13 Southeastern Conference championships and five SEC Tournament titles, in addition to 15 individual NCAA titles.

Details of the induction ceremony have yet to be set. Tebow will be joined in the 2020 class by two former teammates, linebacker Brandon Spikes and return specialist Brandon James.

The honor for Tebow comes two years after he became the sixth member of the Ring of Honor, with his name and number now on display at the Swamp.

Tebow, 32, helped the Gators to the 2006 and 2008 national championships and won the 2007 Heisman Trophy during four seasons at UF.

Meanwhile, Spikes was a two-time All-American with a UF-record four picksixes while James remains the only SEC player with more than 4,000 combined return yards.

Six former Gators join Tebow, Spikes and James in the 2020 class.

■ Former UF center Andrew DeClercq, who led the Gators to 1994 Final Four and started 128 consecutive games.

■ Three-time NCAA champion and two-time Olympian swimmer Shaune Fraser.

■ Mariam Kevkhisvili, who tied the school record with five NCAA titles in women’s track and field.

■ Tennis standout Hamid Mirzadeh, a three-time AllAmerican in singles and twice in doubles.

■ Seven-time NCAA champion Gemma Spofforth, who led the Gators to 2010 national championship in swimming.