Tim Tebow, QB

One of the most decorated quarterbacks in the history of college football, the first sophomore to capture the Heisman Trophy had a glorious career at Florida. Whether he garners the same success at the professional level, on and off the field, Tebow was a true ambassador of the college game. His enthusiasm, character and competitiveness drew comparisons to former Navy and Dallas Cowboys great Roger Staubach.

The first sophomore in Florida history to earn All-American honors, Tebow was also the first Gators quarterback to receive those national honors since Rex Grossman in 2001. He is just the second player to repeat as the Maxwell Award recipient (2007 and '08) and in 2007, he became the first player in NCAA annals to rush for 20 touchdowns (23) and throw for 20 scores (32) in the same season.

Known for his ability to run with the ball, Tebow closed out his career ranked 11th in Southeastern Conference history with 9,285 yards passing, tying for third in those record books with 88 touchdown passes, as his pass efficiency rating of 170.79 set the all-time SEC record. He also holds the conference career-record for total offense with 12,232 yards and in touchdowns responsible for (145). Those 145 touchdowns rank second on the NCAA Football Bowl Division record charts, as his pass efficiency rating is also a major college football all-time mark.

Tebow's ability to roll out of the pocket saw him generate 2,947 yards on the ground. His 57 touchdowns rushing set an SEC record and placed him second in the NCAA record books for quarterbacks. His 57 scoring runs also tied Marshall Faulk of San Diego State (1991-93) for eighth in college football history. His accuracy with the short-to-intermediate passing attack allowed him to rank third on the league record chart with a 67.83 pass completion percentage as a senior, finishing his career by connecting on 66.43 percent of his pass attempts.

During his sensational sophomore season, Tebow captured virtually every national award, including the Heisman Trophy. He scored 138 points that year, as he was responsible for an SEC annual record 58 touchdowns. Even though his 560 plays participated in ranked eighth on the conference season-record list, his 4,181 yards in total offense established a new SEC season-record that year.

Tebow was born in Makati City in the Philippines, to Bob and Pam Tebow, who were serving as Christian missionaries at the time. While pregnant, Pam suffered a life-threatening infection with a pathogenic amoeba. Because of the drugs used to rouse her from a coma and to treat her dysentery, the fetus experienced a severe placental abruption. Doctors expected a stillbirth and recommended an abortion to protect her life, but the mother wisely refused.

All of the Tebow children were homeschooled by their mother. In 1996, legislation was passed in Florida allowing homeschooled students to compete in local high school sporting events. The law specifies that homeschooled students may participate on the team of the local school in the school district in which they live. The Tebows moved in Jacksonville, Fla., and Tim played linebacker and tight end at the local Trinity Christian Academy for one season. Tebow's preferred position was quarterback, but the team's offense did not rely on passing the football, so he began to explore options to play for a new high school.

He decided to attend Nease High School, which under head coach Craig Howard was known for having a passing offense. With the rest of his family living on a farm in Duval County, Tim and his mother moved into an apartment in nearby St. Johns County, making him eligible to play for the football team at Nease. His performance soon turned heads and led to a minor controversy of him being a home-schooled student having his choice of school to play for.

Tebow was a three-sport standout at Nease, where he also competed in basketball and baseball. He was selected to the 2007 Florida High School Athletic Association's All-Century High School Football Team and earned 2006 Parade All-American honors. He participated in the U.S. Army All-American Game and Cali-Florida All-Star Game after his senior campaign. He received back-to-back first-team Class 3A (2004) and 4A (2005) All-State honors, leading the team to a 13-2 record and the school's first-ever Class 4A state title as the senior captain.

As a junior, Tebow's stock rose as he became a major college football quarterback prospect and was named the state of Florida's Player of the Year. He would then repeat as Player of the Year in his senior season. One of his highlights as a high school athlete was finishing a game on a broken leg. During his three seasons on the gridiron, he threw for 9,940 yards and 95 touchdowns, as he also rushed for 3,169 yards and 63 scores. He set the Florida state record with 4,286 yards passing his junior year.

In the 2006 Class 4A state championship game, Tebow was involved in a game-record 54 offensive plays (27 passing, 27 rushing) and was engineered in six touchdowns in the contest, also a state title game-record. He was considered one of the nation's top recruits and was the subject of an ESPN "Faces in Sports" documentary. The segment was titled "Tim Tebow: The Chosen One", and focused on Tim's home-school controversy and missionary work in the Philippines, as well as his exploits on the field of play and the college recruiting process.

Tebow was also featured in Sports Illustrated on the "Faces in the Crowd" page. To this date, he still owns the Florida state prep football records for total offense (12,960), career passing yards (9,940), touchdowns (159) and completed passes (631). He also owns single season state records in total offense (5,552), passing yards (4,286), touchdown passes (46) and total touchdowns (70). Rivals.com listed him as the state of Florida's third-best overall prospect and he placed 22nd on Rivals' national Top 100 list.

Despite having family ties to the University of Florida, where his parents first met as students, Tebow remained open-minded during the recruiting process and became very close to Alabama coach Mike Shula. After careful consideration, he decided to play for Urban Meyer. One of the reasons he chose Florida was because of Meyer's spread option offense, an offense for which Tebow was deemed an archetype quarterback.

Tebow started his career at Florida backing up Chris Leak. He was listed by Sports Illustrated as college football's future top mobile quarterback. He made his college debut coming off the bench behind Leak in a goal-line situation vs. Southern Miss. He rushed for a touchdown on a designed quarterback scramble on his first play as a Gator. His best performance came vs. LSU, when he accounted for all three of the Gators' touchdowns, passing for two and rushing for another. Tebow had a one-yard run on the goal line for his first score, a one-yard "jump pass" to tight end Tate Casey, in which he jumped in the air and double-pumped his arm before releasing the ball, and a 35-yard play-action pass to wide receiver Louis Murphy.

Tebow finished second on the team in rushing that season, totaling 469 yards with eight touchdowns on 89 carries (5.27 yards per carry). He threw only 33 passes, completing 22 (66.67%) for 358 yards, five touchdowns and just one interception. On just 122 plays from scrimmage, he totaled thirteen scores, averaging 6.78 yards every time he touched the ball.

Even before the 2007 season began, Tebow was named as one of the "Breakout Players of 2007" for college football by The Sporting News. Entrenched as the Gators's starting quarterback, any questions about how he would perform as a full time passer were soon erased. In his starting debut vs. Western Kentucky, he completed 13-of-17 for 300 yards and three touchdowns.

Tebow completed 66.86 percent of his pass attempts, the sixth-best pass completion percentage in Southeastern Conference annals. His 32 touchdown passes rank eighth on the SEC season-record list, as he led the team with 138 points scored. He placed second in the nation with a 172.46 pass efficiency rating and ranked 10th nationally while leading the league with an average of 321.62 yards per game in total offense. He led the team in rushing with 895 yards and 23 scores, the most scoring runs ever by a Division I quarter-back in a season, as his 55 touchdowns responsible for were more than 87 entire teams could manage at the FBS level in 2007.

In a game vs. South Carolina, Tebow broke the school record for rushing touchdowns in a season and set a career-high with five rushing touchdowns. The Gators would lose to Michigan in the Capital One Bowl, as their quarterback played that contest wearing a soft cast on the hand that he broke in the regular season finale vs. Florida State.

After the season, Tebow he was the clear-cut winner of the Heisman Trophy, given to the most outstanding college football player of the year. He also received the Davey O'Brien Award, annually given to the best quarterback in the nation. In the Heisman balloting, he garnered 462 first place votes and 1957 points, 254 points ahead of runner-up Arkansas running back Darren McFadden.

Tebow played most of the 2008 season dealing with injury issues. In the season opener vs. Hawaii, he injured his non-throwing shoulder and needed pain-killing injections before each game the rest of the season. He had surgery in January to remove a bone spur and reduce chronic inflammation. Later in the season, his mobility was limited for several games after he suffered a hyper-extended knee vs. Kentucky.

The junior still put together a very good season, as his 30 touchdown passes ranked tied for 11th on the SEC season-record chart. He completed 192-of-298 throws (64.43 percent) for 2,746 yards and ranked second in the conference with an average of 244.21 yards per game in total offense. He also scored 12 times while leading the team for the second-straight season on 176 carries for 673 yards. His pass efficiency rating of 172.37 was the fourth-best in the NCAA for the season, as he was responsible for 42 touchdowns. He would finish third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, despite receiving more first place votes than the winner, Sam Bradford, and the runner up, Colt McCoy.

Some expected Tebow to declare for the 2009 NFL Draft, but looking to capture one more national title, he returned to the university for his final campaign. He was bothered early in the year by a respiratory condition and in late September, a hush went over the stadium as Tebow was lying still on the ground after taking a vicious hit vs. Kentucky. His head hit the ground violently, as he suffered a concussion that required an overnight stay in the hospital.

A bye week in the schedule after that game allowed Tebow to heal enough to lead the team to a 13-3 victory over LSU in the Gators' next game. Their quarterback would finish the year by connecting on 213-of-314 passes, and his 67.83 completion percentage was the third-best in a season for an SEC quarterback. He threw for 21 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He became the only quarterback and the seventh player overall to lead the Gators in rushing three consecutive seasons, tallying a career-high 910 yards with fourteen touchdowns on 217 chances (4.19 yards per carry).

The QB would finish fifth in the balloting for the '09 Heisman Trophy, but before he would close the curtain on his Florida career, he gave Gators fans one lasting impression. The Sugar Bowl was a media frenzy prior to the game, as Florida head coach Urban Meyer was diagnosed with a heart condition that saw him first step down as the team leader and then announce he would take a leave of absence after the bowl game. Tebow would send his coach a "very special" get-well card, with bowl records of 482 yards passing and 533 yards in total offense en route to a 51-24 triumph.

Accuracy: A bit inconsistent on intermediate throws that require zip. Throws some beautiful passes in tight windows, but also has a tendency for "wobbly" throws, making his passes a tougher catch than pure spirals. Typically leads his receivers, but still too often forces them to alter their routes.

Arm Strength: Prototypical arm strength. Can make every NFL throw. Can zip short and intermediate passes and flashes touch and trajectory on deeper throws. Only occasionally asked to throw true deep balls in this offense, but has the arm strength to do so.

Setup/Release: Some real concerns in this area. Takes snaps in the shotgun, meaning he'll need significant refinement in his drop-back at the next level. Quick, active feet necessary to eventually excel in this area. Drops the ball to his hip before winding up to release the pass. Struggled with pass rushers knocking the ball out of his hands, as well as tipping off defensive backs who can read where he's going with the long wind-up.

Reading Defenses: Only asked to make a few reads in this offense before having the green light to run. Seems to be a cerebral player who understands defenses and will scan the field to locate the open receiver.

On the Move: At his best as a runner and has rare vision with the ball in his hands from the quarterback position. Can anticipate holes in the defense and shows the burst to get past the initial wave of defenders to gain yards in chunks.

Intangibles: Perfectly suited to Urban Meyer's system, but there are some questions as to how Tebow's skills translate to the NFL. Good size and strength for the position. Rare toughness. Natural and charismatic leader.

In 55 games at Florida, Tebow completed 661-of-995 passes (66.43 percent) for 9,285 yards, 88 touchdowns and only 18 interceptions … Gained 2,947 yards with an Southeastern Conference career-record 57 touchdowns on 692 carries (4.26 yards per carry) … Scored 342 points and touched the ball 1,687 times (fourth-best in SEC history), generating a league record 12,232 yards in total offense, the 13th-best career total in the major college ranks … His average of 7.25 yards gained each time he touched the ball rank third in SEC history … His 145 touchdowns responsible for set the conference all-time record and second in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision ranks behind the 149 scores by Colt Brennan of Hawaii (2005-07) … He joined Dan LeFevour of Central Michigan (47 rushing/102 passing, 2006-09), Pat White of West Virginia (47 rush/56 pass, 2005-08), Brad Smith of Missouri (45 rush/56 pass, 2002-05), Josh Harris of Bowling Green (43 rush/55 pass, 2000-03) and Antwaan Randle El of Indiana (44 rush/42 pass, 1998-2001) as the only major college quarterbacks to ever rush for 40 touchdowns and throw for 40 scores during a career … He ranks fourth among active quarterbacks with 12,232 yards in total offense … Tebow joined Brad Smith of Missouri (4,289 rushing/8,799 passing, 2002-05) as the only FBS players to ever throw for over 7,500 yards and rush for over 2,500 yards in a career … Tebow was responsible for 870 points scored, topped by Colt Brennan of Hawaii's 884 points on the NCAA record chart … His 57 rushing touchdowns are two shy of the NCAA career-record of 59 by Eric Crouch of Nebraska (1998-2001) … His pass efficiency rating of 170.79 set the SEC all-time record and broke the previous NCAA mark of 168.9 by Ryan Dinwiddie of Boise State (2000-03) … On the NCAA record chart for overall touchdown runs, his 57 tied Marshall Faulk of San Diego State (1991-93) for eighth in college annals … His 12,232 yards in total offense broke the old school and SEC career-record of 11,380 yards by Chris Leak (2003-06) … His average gain of 7.25 yards per touch rank third in SEC and Florida history behind Danny Wuerffel (7.75 ypc on 1,355 attempts for 10,500 yards, 1993-96) and Rex Grossman (7.35 ypc, 1,229 for 9,031 yards, 2000-02) … His 145 touchdowns responsible for shattered the previous league and school all-time record of 122 by Danny Wuerffel (8 rushing, 114 passing) … His 57 touchdown runs bettered Herschel Walker of Georgia's old SEC record of 49 (1980-82) … Completed 66.43% of his passes as a Gator, topped by only Tim Couch of Kentucky (67.15%, 795-of-1,184 attempts, 1996-98) in conference annals … His 170.79 pass efficiency rating topped the previous school and conference record of 163.6 by Danny Wuerffel … Ranks 11th in SEC history with 9,285 yards passing … His 88 touchdown passes tied Chris Leak for second in school history, behind Wuerffel's 114 and placed both Leak and Tebow behind Wuerffel and Peyton Manning of Tennessee (89, 1994-97) on the conference all-time record chart … His 4,181 yards in total offense during his 2007 campaign marked just the second time an SEC player amassed over 4,000 yards in a season, breaking the old league annual record of 4,151 yards by Tim Couch of Kentucky in 1998 … Was the only SEC player to ever be responsible for more than 50 touchdowns in a season, as his total of 55 in 2007 shattered the old record of 41 by Wuerffel in 1996 … Kentucky's Andre Woodson ranks second on that list with 43 in 2007, as Tebow placed third with 42 in 2008 and ninth with 35 in 2009 … His pass completion percentage of 67.834 in 2009 rank third on the SEC season-record list behind Tim Couch's 72.33% in 1998 and Jamarcus Russell of Louisiana State's 67.836% in 2006 … In 2007, Tebow became the first Florida quarterback since Rex Grossman in 2001 to earn first-team All-American honors … Joined Steve Spurrier (1996) and Danny Wuerffel (1996) as the only Gators to ever win the Heisman Trophy … In 2007 and 2008, Tebow was named the recipient of the Maxwell Award (presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States), joining John Lattner of Notre Dame (1952-53) as the only players to repeat as winners of that award … Is the only quarterback in school and SEC history to have rushed for 100 yards in five games (South Carolina and Mississippi in 2007, Oklahoma in 2008 and Florida International and Kentucky in 2009) … Threw at least one touchdown pass in 38 of the 41 games he started.

Second-team All-American selection by The NFL Draft Report, The Sporting News, Associated Press and Walter Camp … Winner of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award … Was a finalist for each of the Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award, Maxwell Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Manning Award, Heisman Trophy and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award … Recipient of the 20th Anniversary William V. Campbell Trophy and named to the National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Class ($25,000 postgraduate scholarship) … Chosen ESPN Academic All-American of the Year, Academic All-American and Academic All-District III, in addition to being named the Southeastern Conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year … Consensus All-SEC first-team choice … Member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Member … Nominee for Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year … The University of Florida Hall of Fame Inductee (student, not athletics) was also a Florida Blue Key Inductee, as he was named the university's Outstanding Male Senior and captured the Outstanding Leadership Award … Added SEC Player of the Week honors vs. Florida State and Troy … Led the nation with a 164.17 pass efficiency rating, finishing 20th in the major college ranks and second in the SEC with an average of 271.79 yards per game in total offense … Gained a total of 3,805 yards, becoming the first quarterback and seventh overall player to lead the Gators in rushing three consecutive years … Rushed 217 times for a career-high 910 yards (4.19 ypc) and 14 touchdowns … Completed 67.83% of his passes (213-of-314), the third-highest pass completion percentage in a season by an SEC player … Threw for 2,895 yards with 21 touchdowns and just five interceptions, as he was responsible for a total of 35 scores … Helped the team rank 10th in the nation in rushing (221.79 yards per game), sixth in total offense (457.86 yards per game) and 10th in scoring (35.86 points per game) … 189 of his 213 pass completions produced first downs, as 111 of those successful throws were good for at least 10 yards, including 41 for 20 yards or longer … Added 67 more first downs on his 217 rushing attempts, converting 24 third-down carries … Also converted 62-of-135 third-down and all seven fourth-down pass plays he was involved in … Turned the ball over five times on six fumbles, as he had 18 of his pass attempts deflected by the opposition and was sacked 27 times for losses totaling 138 yards.

Earned second-team All-American honors from The NFL Draft Report and The Sporting News, adding third-team accolades from the Associated Press … Consensus All-SEC first-team choice and named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press … Winner of the Manning Award, Wuerffel Trophy, Maxwell Award and Disney's Wide World of Sports(r) Spirit Award … Finalist for the Heisman Trophy and semi-finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award … Wooden Cup, Walter Camp Player of the Year and U.S. Sports Academy Male Athlete of the Year finalist … Sullivan Award and ESPY Award winner: Best Male College Athlete … First-team Academic All-District, Academic All-American of the Year and first-team Academic All-American selection by ESPN … Chosen the SEC's Offensive MVP by The Sporting News … AT&T All-American Player of the Year nominee … The team captain and UF Football Leadership Committee member earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors vs. Vanderbilt and U.S. Army All-American Bowl College Player of the Week accolades vs. Georgia) … Ranked fourth in the nation and led the SEC with a pass efficiency rating of 172.37 … Placed second in the conference with an average of 244.21 yards per game in total offense … Started all fourteen games, despite being bothered by a non-throwing shoulder sprain early in the year and a hyper-extended knee later in the campaign … Threw for 30 touchdowns, the 11th-best season total by an SEC quarterback … Had just four interceptions while completing 192-of-298 attempts (64.43%) for 2,746 yards … Led the team with 176 carries for 673 yards (3.82 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns … Scored 72 points and recorded three solo tackles while generating 3,419 yards in total offense … Was responsible for 42 touchdowns, but turned the ball over twice on five fumbles and was sacked a total of fifteen times.

Had one of the best seasons ever by a collegiate quarterback, becoming the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy … The unanimous All-American and All-SEC first-team selection added Maxwell Award, SEC Offensive Player of the Year and CBS Sports National Offensive Player of the Year honors, in addition to being chosen as an Academic All-American by ESPN … Finalist for the Manning Award … Three-time SEC Offensive Player of the Week (South Carolina, Mississippi, Troy) and two-time Walter Camp Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week (Tennessee and South Carolina) … Named the Atlanta Touchdown Club's Outstanding Offensive Back in the Southeast region … Member of the 2007 UF Football Leadership Committee … Became the only player in NCAA history to rush and pass for at least 20 touchdowns in a season, as he set team, conference and NCAA season-records for quarterbacks with 23 touchdowns on the ground … Had a 14-game streak with at least one rushing and one passing touchdown, the longest streak in NCAA history nationally and the longest by any player according to research dating back to 1996 … Set the SEC season-record, as he accounted for a total of 55 touchdowns … Led the team with 895 yards on 210 carries (4.26 yards per carry) and completed 234-of-350 passes (66.86% rank sixth on the SEC season-record chart) for a career-high 3,286 yards, 32 touchdowns (eighth on the SEC annual record list) and only six interceptions … Led the team in scoring with 138 points … His 4,181 yards in total offense set a conference season-record … Went over the century mark in rushing in two games and threw for three touchdowns or more in 11 of 13 contests … Became the first player in Division I history to have rushed and passed at least one touchdown in 14- straight games … Helped the team rank 23rd in the nation in rushing (231.4 yards per game), 15th in total offense (457.86 ypg led the SEC) and fourth in scoring (43.64 points per game) … Fumbled three times and was sacked 13 times.

2007 GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Western Kentucky … Blitzed the Western Kentucky defense in his first career start, throwing for three touchdowns and a then career-high 300 yards … His 338 yards of total offense vs. the Hilltoppers ranked as the 10th-best single-game offensive yardage total at Florida Field.

Mississippi … Tebow's 166 yards garnered on the ground vs. Ole Miss were a school record by a quarterback and his 27 rushing attempts were a career-high and national best mark this season … Also gained 261 yards with two touchdowns on 20-of-34 pass attempts.

Kentucky … The sophomore threw for a then career-best four touchdowns in the upset victory over Kentucky … Included in the win vs. the Wildcats was a then career-long 66-yard touchdown pass to Louis Murphy … Finished with 256 yards on 18-of-26 passes and also scored once on 20 carries for 78 yards.

Vanderbilt … Tebow completed a then career-high 22 passes (on 27 attempts) for 281 yards while totaling five touchdowns (three passing/two rushing) … His two scoring runs gave him fourteen touchdowns on the ground for 2007, tying the school season-record by Emmitt Smith (89) and Buford Long (1952).

South Carolina … Tebow might have sealed the Heisman Trophy with his record-setting performance vs. the Gamecocks, as he rushed for five touchdowns, scored 30 points, gained 120 yards on 26 carries and completed 22-of-32 throws for 304 yards and a pair of scores … Record Watch-Tebow's 304 aerial yards were a then career-high … Set the school game-record with five touchdown runs, topping the previous mark of four that was set by several players, most recently by fellow quarterback Jesse Palmer vs. Kentucky in 2000 …

His 30 points scored set another UF game mark and his seven total touchdowns tied a game record he now shares with Danny Wuerffel, Doug Johnson and Terry Dean.

Florida Atlantic … Tebow followed with a season-high 338 yards on 25-of-34 attempts that included three touchdowns and one interception … He also scored once on 11 carries for 31 yards.

Florida State … Closed out the regular season with three touchdowns and 262 yards on 19-of-28 tosses, as he led the team to a 45-12 victory behind 541 yards in total offense … Even though he suffered a broken bone in his right hand during the third quarter, he rushed for 89 yards that included two touchdowns on 13 attempts.

Michigan (Capital One Bowl) … Accounted for four touchdowns, throwing three through the air and rushing for a score on the ground in a 41-35 loss.

Despite playing behind Chris Leak, Tebow saw action in all fourteen games, earning All-SEC Freshman first-team and honorable mention Freshman All-America accolades from The Sporting News … The member of the 2006 UF Football Leadership Committee, he joined Leak and Cris Collinsworth as the only true UF freshmen quarterbacks to be responsible for scores in a season opener when he rallied for a 1-yard rush in the 2006 opener vs. Southern Mississippi … Finished second on the team in rushing, gaining 469 yards with eight touchdowns on 89 carries (5.27 yards per carry) … His average yards gained per rushing attempt ranked second among the nation's quarterbacks. Topped by only Pat White of West Virginia (7.4 yards per carry) during the 2006 campaign … Attempted just 33 passes, but completed 22 of those attempts (66.67 percent) for 358 yards, five touchdowns and only one interception … Averaged 6.78 yards per touch, generating 827 yards in total offense (59.07 yards per game) while scoring 48 points … Turned the ball over three times on fumbles, but managed to avoid getting sacked in any contest.

2006 GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Made his collegiate debut in the fourth quarter vs. Southern Mississippi and scored on a 1-yard touchdown run … Led the Gators with 62 yards rushing on nine attempts, highlighted by a 29-yard rush that was UF's longest carry of the season, as he was 6-for-9 for 81 yards while his first career passing attempt was an 11-yard completion to Kenneth Tookes in the second quarter vs. Central Florida … Electrified The Swamp with a then career-high 73 yards rushing on six carries (12.2 avg.) vs. Kentucky, featuring a pair of 25-yard runs, as Tebow totaled 62 yards on his first three carries vs. the Wildcats and also completed a 12-yard pass to Dallas Baker … Scored on a one-yard run vs. Louisiana State and was 2-for-2 passing with the first two touchdown throws of his career, as he fired a 1-yard jump pass to Tate Casey with 22 seconds remaining until the half to put UF ahead to stay and then connected with Louis Murphy on a 35-yard score with 12:05 left in the third quarter to give the Gators a 23-7 lead … Enjoyed a strong effort in the shutout of Western Carolina, as he connected on 10-for-12 tosses for a then career-high 200 yards passing and threw a pair of touchdown passes to Riley Cooper (55, 20). He also gained 47 yards on six carries that included a pair of touchdown runs (20, 1) … Proved to be a double threat in the BCS National Championship Game vs. Ohio State, rushing 10 times for 39 yards and a score and also threw a touchdown to Andre Caldwell with 23 seconds remaining until halftime.

2009: Missed several mid-August practices while nursing a sore back … Was bothered early in the season with a flu-like respiratory condition and was listed as questionable for the Kentucky game (9/26). He did start that contest, but suffered a concussion when he was tackled and his head hit the ground.

2008: Tebow revealed that he injured his non-throwing (right) shoulder in the season opener vs. Hawaii (8/30) and needed painkilling injections before each game the rest of the way. He had surgery in January to remove a bone spur and reduce chronic inflammation. "That's just stuff you have to deal with," Tebow said. "That's football … I will never pull myself out of the game. I just love playing too much. Some people say it's probably being hardheaded out there, too." … Suffered a hyper-extended knee in the Kentucky contest (10/25) that limited his mobility for several weeks, but he did not miss any game action.

2007: Tebow suffered a bruised right, non-throwing shoulder, an injury sustained in the second half of Florida's 45-37 win at Kentucky (10/20) … Suffered a right hand non-displaced bone fracture vs. Florida State (11/24). The Heisman Trophy winner sustained the injury during his 5-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the third quarter, team spokesman Steve McClain. Team doctors looked at his hand and did some tests on the sideline, but Tebow said he was okay to play and stayed in the game. X-rays following the victory revealed the severity of injury and he wore a soft cast for two weeks to protect the injury.

2006: Tebow played in several games during his high school senior season with a slight bone fracture in his leg.

Campus: 4.68 in the 40-yard dash … 1.59 10-yard dash … 2.65 20-yard dash … 4.16 20-yard shuttle … 7.22 three-cone drill … 32-inch vertical jump … 9'4" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 38 times … 30 3/4-inch arm length … 10-inch hands (throws left-handed).

Attended Nease (Jacksonville, Fla.) High School, playing football for head coach Craig Howard … Played linebacker and tight end at the local Trinity Christian Academy his freshman season before transferring to Nease High … Preferred to play quarterback, but the Trinity football team's offense did not rely on passing the football, so he began to explore his options to play for a new high school … Three-sport standout at Nease, where he also competed in basketball and baseball … Selected to the 2007 Florida High School Athletic Association's All-Century High School Football Team and earned 2006 Parade All-American honors … Participated in the U.S. Army All-American Game and Cali-Florida All-Star Game after his senior campaign … Received back-to-back first-team Class 3A (2004) and 4A (2005) All-State honors, leading the team to a 13-2 record and the school's first-ever Class 4A state title as the senior captain … That year, he completed 216-of-340 passes (63.53%) for 3,302 yards, 31 touchdowns and four interceptions, adding 21 more scores and 1,163 yards on 183 carries … Tebow's stock rose as he became a major college football quarterback prospect and was named the state of Florida's Player of the Year … Repeated as Player of the Year in his senior season … One of his highlights as a high school athlete was finishing a game on a broken leg … During his three seasons on the gridiron, he threw for 9,940 yards and 95 touchdowns, as he also rushed for 3,169 yards and 63 scores … Set the Florida state record with 4,286 yards passing his junior year … In the 2006 Class 4A state championship game, Tebow was involved in a game-record 54 offensive plays (27 passing, 27 rushing) and was engineered in six touchdowns in the contest, also a state title game-record … Was considered one of the nation's top recruits and was the subject of an ESPN "Faces in Sports" documentary. The segment was titled "Tim Tebow: The Chosen One", and focused on Tim's home-school controversy and missionary work in the Philippines, as well as his exploits on the field of play and the college recruiting process … Also featured in Sports Illustrated on the "Faces in the Crowd" page … To this date, he still owns the Florida state prep football records for total offense (12,960), career passing yards (9,940), touchdowns (159) and completed passes (631) … Also owns single season state records in total offense (5,552), passing yards (4,286), touchdown passes (46) and total touchdowns (70) … Rivals.com listed him as the state of Florida's third-best overall prospect and he placed 22nd on Rivals national Top 100 list.

Family, Youth and Community Sciences major, garnering numerous school, Southeastern Conference, District and national academic recognition … Active member of the Goodwill Gators who volunteered his time at the Children's Miracle Network at Shands and on a UF Psychiatry visit … Youngest of five children of Pam and Bob Tebow … Traveled to the Philippines three-straight summers with his father on mission trips … Born 8/14/87 in Manila, Phillipines … Resides in Jacksonville, Florida.