Gator Great Tim Tebow Named a First-Ballot College Football Hall of Fame
Photo: Tim Tebow; Credit: UAA Communications
Tim Tebow unofficially became the University of Florida's 13th College Football Hall of Fame entrant on Monday. The prestigious honor will become official on Dec. 5, 2023, when Tebow will join 21 fellow inductees during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas, Nev.
Tebow will be a first-ballot College Football Hall of Famer after clinching his first spot on the poll in June 2022.
One of if not the most notable student-athlete in the university's history, Tebow shined for the Gators from 2006-09 after starring for Ponte Vedra (Fla.) Nease in high school.
Tebow played a crucial part in UF's 2006 and 2008 BCS National Championship victory, winning MVP honors for the latter and squeezing Heisman Trophy recognition in between those two seasons.
Additionally, Tebow nabbed consensus First Team All-American honors and the Davey O'Brien Award in 2007, back-to-back Maxwell Awards from 2007-08 and SEC Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-SEC selections for three years in a row (2007-09).
He finished his four-year Gators career with 9,285 passing yards, 88 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while also rushing for 2,947 yards and 55 touchdowns.
Florida went 48-7 during Tebow's time in Gainesville, and the Gators became the first FBS team to record back-to-back 13-win seasons (2008-09). Tebow set 14 SEC records during his time in college.
A first-round selection by Denver in 2010, Tebow memorably led the Broncos to a playoff berth and a walk-off victory over Pittsburgh in the 2011 Wild Card Round.
His pro opportunities were sparse from then on, though, as Tebow joined the New York Jets for the 2012 season and spent offseason time with New England (2013), Philadelphia (2015) and Jacksonville (2021) after two seasons with the Broncos.
Tebow also played minor league baseball for the New York Mets from 2016-21.
You can find Florida's list of College Football Hall of Famers below.
Players
- Dale Van Sickel, end, at UF from 1927-29, inducted in 1975
- Steve Spurrier, quarterback, at UF from 1964-66, inducted in 1986
- Jack Youngblood, defensive end, at UF from 1968-70, inducted in 1992
- Emmitt Smith, running back, at UF from 1987-89, inducted in 2006
- Wilber Marshall, linebacker, at UF from 1980-83, inducted in 2008
- Carlos Alvarez, wide receiver, at UF from 1967-71, inducted in 2011
- Danny Wuerffel, quarterback, 1993-96, inducted in 2013
- Wes Chandler, wide receiver, at UF from 1974-77, inducted in 2015
- Lomas Brown, offensive tackle, at UF from 1981-84, inducted in 2020
- Tim Tebow, quarterback, at UF from 2006-09, inducted in 2023
Coaches
- Charles Bachman, at UF from 1928-32, inducted in 1975
- Ray Graves, at UF from 1960-69, inducted in 1990
- Doug Dickey, at UF from 1970-78, inducted in 2003
- Steve Spurrier, at UF from 1990-2001, inducted in 2017
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