USA TODAY International Edition
Tebow could return to college game
If Florida great does seek TV job, studio gig good fit
Tim Tebow will look for a college football television job if he receives no further interest from NFL teams, NFL. com reported Monday. If true, this pretty much means Tim Tebow is looking for a college football television job.
Going to TV is the obvious next step for the former Florida quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, and seeking a college football gig is a natural. Though Tebow has some NFL credentials ( he has won a playoff game more recently than Peyton Manning and Drew Brees), going back to college seems a better fit.
When he has been on TV, Tebow often has relied on crutches such as “you know” and “I think” and has a habit of calling things “great” and “blessed.” But those are verbal tics that can easily be worked out with practice.
Tebow has a good camera pres- ence, and he showed an ability to add insight into a broadcast when he discussed on ESPN before last season’s Sugar Bowl the importance of maintaining timing with wide receivers during a long break.
The bigger issue was how Tebow declined to talk about the NFL — something Chris Fowler made sure to mention at the top of the segment. It’s understandable given Tebow was in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl. But when pressed later to talk about his NFL future, he brought it back to talking about how much he loved Gators fans. If that was off- limits, what else would be?
The best analysts in football, such as Cris Collinsworth and Dan Fouts, are the ones who can offer critique in addition to insight and praise. Would Tebow be able to do that? For now, he seems too much like the rah- rah type. His personality suggests he couldn’t be hard on players and teams — another reason why college suits him better.
Given his inexperience and temperament, a studio gig feels like the best fit for Tebow. He can start with a few segments a show and work his way into a bigger presence as he gets more comfortable.
It’s harder to get acclimated to a role in a booth. Either you start at the bottom and work your way up or you get thrown into the deep end without knowing how to swim. Because it’s hard to see Tim Tebow calling Bowling Green games to build experience, the studio makes the most sense.
Naturally, the biggest job in college football will be getting Lee Corso’s chair on College Gameday whenever he walks away. “If he chooses to end his playing career, we’d have an interest in exploring it,” ESPN spokeswoman Gracie Blackburn said in an e- mail.
It’s hard not to wonder if that January appearance was a sign of things to come or if Fox will try to make a splash by bringing Tebow onto its low- rated Saturday pregame show. Provided a network wants his services, Tebow might be going back to college.