What Tim Tebow Said Ahead of Hall of Fame Salute, Florida vs. Florida State
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Ahead of his on-campus salute to honor his imminent College Football Hall of Fame induction, set for Saturday during Florida's matchup with Florida State, Heisman Trophy-winning former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow on Friday met with reporters to discuss the honor, the Sunshine Showdown, each team's new starting quarterback for the game and more.
Find everything Tebow said during the press conference below.
On Tebow's preparation for this moment, a Hall of Fame salute in front of a sold-out Ben Hill Griffin Stadium:
TIM TEBOW: "That's a good question. I would say, honestly, probably not too much. I am looking forward to it because I know I have some former teammates that will be there because I just don't view this as an individual award. The great thing about football, especially out of most sports, is anything that's happened, it's never done just by yourself. It's done as a collective group of young men that are trying to accomplish something bigger than themselves. So I'm excited about that. I'm also just crazy excited about this game, too. I was talking to Rick [Hurtado] early on this season and they were talking about different games, and I was like, 'You know, probably the game that always meant the most to me was, you know, that team out west and playing those guys,' you know, trying to figure it out. I was just so excited that they chose this game because one of my favorite games growing up, one of my favorite games as a player and now something that I get to be a part of. But just excited about the game, excited about the opportunity that Florida has against the No. 5-ranked team in FSU, undefeated. You know, it'll be a lot of fun. The atmosphere — I can't wait to hear 'I Won't Back Down' in the fourth quarter and hopefully there will be a lot of Gators that will be signing it at the top of their lungs."
On which former teammates Tebow expects to be in attendance Saturday:
TIM TEBOW: "I don't know who all will be there but I know [Brandon] Siler will be there, [Brandon] Spikes will be there, hopefully some more. I'm not sure of everybody but I've been texting with those two. Hopefully I'll be able to see [Riley Cooper] as well. We're at the Iron Bowl right now, actually, and we just stepped out of a meeting. We'll be leaving here to head to the game so I'm excited. I know I'll see at least those two but hopefully a lot more."
On Florida and Florida State's quarterback situations entering the game:
TIM TEBOW: "I think [Max Brown has] got a really good skill set. He is a really gifted passer and a very athletic runner. I think that's something that's very important to add into their game plan, using his legs. That's probably, in college football for the last 20-25 years, been an equalizer of teams, a quarterback that can make plays with his legs on third down, in the red zone and goal line. I think that's something that Floirida should really take advantage of, especially when you can balance it with really good backs and the way they use their jet motions with [Eugene] Wilson and [Ricky] Pearsall going back and forth. Having that should be something that's a heavy part of their game plan. And then, also, with Tate [Rodemaker], he does have some playing time but it's never been at The Swamp at night and in an environment like that so it's really important for him to handle the crowd, handle the moment and understand he's got some big-time weapons, a couple of the best receivers in college football and so just go through the same things he's done in practice and not make the moment bigger than it is. Try to minimize it to a certain extent."
On Tebow's favorite memories of the Florida-Florida State rivalry:
TIM TEBOW: "I have a lot. I loved it. I loved it growing up. I loved it. I'll tell you, every year growing up we would watch the game and if we won, it was, ask my parents, arguably the best day of the year and if we lost, it was mortifying. I was probably, I would lose perspective and it felt like the world was ending and I begged them to let me not go to church on Sunday because I couldn't handle the FSU fans. It was always bigger than a game. Freshman year, going there and beating them in a close game and then my sophomore year, I remember just — probably one of my favorite memories, even though it was painful, was on one of the first drives of the game I was stiff-arming one of the guys and another FSU guy hit my hand and broke it because it got in between two facemasks and I was just like there's no chance I'm telling anyone my hand is broken even though I knew it because I could feel it. There was no chance. Even when we were beating them bad at the end of the game, I'm still playing this game to the very end. That's how much it matters to me. Every year was special. Junior year, there when it was raining, I remember probably one of the most upset and intense moments of any game I've ever played in was when they twisted Percy's ankle and the crowd started chanting something that I can't repeat. I just remember that our huddle was a very intense place and the next play, we said, 'Everybody get in the end zone. Pouncey's, we're following you.' But, literally, everybody because you know what happens if I'm carrying the ball and we're all in the end zone. That means it's a touchdown. We literally drove them like eight yards deep into the end zone and I think that just talks about how much the game means but also the brotherhood and camaraderie and teamwork. I don't know, it's just special. Then my senior year, having the chance to be my last home game ever against that team, that's just really special."
On if Tebow will speak to the Gators before the game:
TIM TEBOW: “I’m always open to always talking to the team. I just would always want them to know first that it’s never about me. Saturday isn’t about me. It’s about them. It’s an amazing opportunity and it’s something that if they can harness three hours of excellence they will have a chance to be one of the more remembered Gator teams because they get a chance to knock off an undefeated FSU team. That doesn’t happen all the time. I remember looking back at my childhood and remembering Fred Taylor running in the end zone and Jacquez Green getting the deep pass to set it up and the upset of that FSU team — I believe it was 1997. That team is remembered not because it was one of the best teams but it knocked off FSU on what could have been a great year for them. If invited, sure, but it’s not about me. It’s about them and they have the chance to do something really special.”
On if Billy Napier has not yet asked Tebow to speak to the team:
TIM TEBOW: “Uh, no, sir. Not that I’m aware of.”
Om the number of night games Tebow has experienced at UF since his graduation:
TIM TEBOW: “Two or three Kentucky games that were at night. LSU at night. Probably four or five night games since then, where I just had the chance to relax and watch.”
On how different Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is, especially at night, for an opposing quarterback:
TIM TEBOW: “Different. It’s just different. And I also love the student section is so close to the opposing bench and that’s one of the things I always hear from guys that have played. They’re like, man, we didn’t realize just how close the fans are to us. I love that. I think that’s definitely a home-field advantage. The crowd just has to factor into the game. Somehow, some way, they’ve gotta factor into the game. I hope that place is so loud and rocking. I know Tate is a very gifted player but this is a big rivalry game with an undefeated team. That’s a lot of pressure. I think he’s going to have to really rely on his receivers and rely on the gameplan and I think that Coach Norvell really needs to do a good job of calming him down throughout the entire game because it can be a very intimidating place. For Gator Nation, I hope that it is.”
On the advice Tebow would you give Max Brown ahead of his first collegiate start:
TIM TEBOW: “Embrace the moment. When I say that I kind of mean that by don’t shy away from it. When you have the opportunities, let it rip. Be aggressive. Don’t be afraid to tell coach Napier and all the coaches what you feel comfortable with. If that’s a zone read, let it rip. Do things early that you feel very comfortable with. I love the way when he came in last week there’s a play-action with a linebacker coming up to him and he sidearm slings it on the overroute. Yeah, Pearsall got hit pretty good but you just saw the confidence he played with. Boom, next play, and all of a sudden you could see this, there’s a little bit of the swag to when he stepped on the field and that’s not easy. You’re on the road against a top-10 team and, by the way, you’re down, here you go. I know there was the miscue with the fumble but I think for the most part he played really, really well stepping in there with his arm, with his legs, with his heart, leadership. I was very impressed. That’s not an easy environment. I’ve been there at night and I had a lot of friends there that were texting me the whole time that ‘this place is crazy’. The way he handled it, I was very impressed with it.”
Stay tuned to All Gators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @AllGatorsOnFN on Twitter and All Gators on FanNation-Sports Illustrated on Facebook.
Get your Gators football, basketball, baseball and other sporting events tickets from SI Tickets here.
