Tebow shifts gears, eyes MLB career

With professional football not working out, Tim Tebow is going to give baseball a try.

Tebow, who was a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at the University of Florida but was unable to hold an NFL job, is pursuing a career in major league baseball. He will hold a workout for MLB teams this month, his agents told ESPN and other news outlets.

“This may sound like a publicity stunt, but nothing could be further from the truth,” said Brodie Van Wagenen, co-head of CAA Baseball, in the statement. “I have seen Tim’s workouts, and people inside and outside the industry — scouts, executives, players and fans — will be impressed by his talent.”

It’s been over a decade since Tebow, 28, has played baseball full time. He has been training in Scottsdale, Ariz., with former major league catcher Chad Moeller.

Tebow would not be the first athlete to switch from the NFL to MLB. Bo Jackson had one all-star season with the Kansas City Royals, and Deion Sanders played several years for the Atlanta Braves with mixed success.

Although Michael Jordan tried to cross over to baseball from basketball as a 31-year-old in 1994, he did not fare as well, playing one year for a Chicago White Sox minor league team.

The Denver Broncos drafted Tebow in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. He has not played in the NFL since 2012 with the New York Jets. He went to training camp with the New England Patriots in 2013 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015 but was cut before the season each time.