It’s all sunshine and lollipops for the GPOOE™ now.
The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner was the star attraction at Florida’s pro day Wednesday, receiving rave reviews from NFL scouts, coaches and general managers after he unveiled his new, compact throwing motion…
Their performances, though, were clearly overshadowed by Tebow. He spent the last two months fine-tuning his new motion, which includes smaller strides, holding the ball higher and eliminating that long, looping release that had experts cringing and analysts calling for him to move to tight end or H-back.
He worked with longtime NFL assistant Zeke Bratkowski, former NFL coach Sam Wyche and former college/ NFL assistant Marc Trestman.
“I made a lot of changes and improved on a lot of things,” Tebow said.
So, in two months he’s been able to pull off what a supposedly gifted coaching staff at Florida couldn’t do in four years. Sounds like more grist for the recruiting mill.
Get The Picture 
I’m sure he’s a regular Dan Marino.
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Why is Zeke Bratkowski helping Tebow? That is sickening. Hell, at least if Tebow fails in the NFL we will have ONE advantage over UF by rightly pointing out that their coach does not prepare players for the NFL.
Now, we have one of our own mitigating UF’s weakness. What a terrible thing for Zeke to do.
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Then again, UGa could sell it as “Look, we’re so good our guys even fixed Tebow!”
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I think the reviews all state his form is mechanical now, and there is a hitch. When he is pressured he still reverts to college Tebow.
But the reviews are all positive at the progress he has displayed over two months.
I personally believe Tebow made the same progress, or close to it, last Spring, but during game times reverted back to the old Tebow. You know… to try and win, instead of work on his NFL draft stock during a national championship run.
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And that is what I admire about Tebow. I’m absolutely sure that he is the type of guy that would rather do what it takes to win NOW, his pro stock be damned. So I commend HIM for staying the course while he was a Gator. But you have to understand, college football fans outside of Florida remain skeptical about the “throwing mechanics” tidbits we were being spoon fed during his last few years, mostly by Meyer.
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I think is is fine for rival fans to be “skeptical” about it. That is one thing that make rivalries what they are.
That said, the good Senator implies this *might* hurt Florida recruiting. So far, there has been no evidence of it hurting recruiting.
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And so it goes, we are left clinging to the possibility they can’t coach quarterbacks. They are counting their rings.
A paraphrase of “The winners are laughing and joking, the losers are hollering ‘Deal, Dammnit Deal”
Sigh.
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Honestly, you’re missing the point here.
This isn’t a sour grapes post. Meyer’s a great coach. But he’s put himself in an awkward position with the way he’s tried to deflect criticism of Tebow’s mechanics. And that’s something that’s going to get thrown at him on the recruiting trail. Regardless of the won-loss record…
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Florida recruiting really sucks, doesn’t it Senator? I mean, the 2010 class was horrible, just horrible! And all because Meyer failed, FAILED I TELL YOU, to correct Tebow’s mechanics.
Damn, however will Florida recover?
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Mike, where did I ever say that?
You’re reading waaaay too much into this.
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I am reading too much into it???? Says the guy that keeps the subject alive on his own blog.
🙂
Hey, it is your blog. One I like very much I might add, in spite of being a fan of a hated rival.
But please, spare us the protestations
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Do you honestly think that rival coaches aren’t using this on the recruiting trail? And do you not think that Meyer’s indicated he’s concerned about that?
Convince me otherwise, and I’ll be happy to drop the subject.
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By the way, about that whole “keeping the subject alive” schtick… you do realize that I’m reacting to a story that quotes other people who are talking about this, right?
Including Tebow himself…
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This all reminds me of something my first ALTA coach told me when I was playing C6, and she wanted to change my service motion……….
She said, “You can win now, at this level, like it is. And, if you change it, for a little while, it will probably get worse before it gets better. But, if you want to move up in levels and be able to compete, you can’t serve like you’re serving now. Better players will tear you up.”
Her theory was that a lot of people wouldn’t change what they do because they wanted to win TODAY, not be a better player 6 months or a year from now. Because of that, a lot of people got stuck at a lower level with a major, exploitable flaw in their game.
If Tebow is such a hard worker and a great learner, and Meyer is such a great developer of QBs, why is Tebow rebuilding his entire approach now? You’re telling me Meyer and his staff couldn’t see the flaws in Tebow’s mechanics when he was a freshman? They had a whole year to work on that before they needed him to throw so much as a meaningful pass (the jump pass at LSU notwithstanding).
Yeah, Meyer’s great, Florida wins, blah blah blah. What this basically shows me is that as long as Meyer got production out of Tebow with the flawed delivery, he wasn’t doing anything to help him. Some people act like the whole fix the flaws/win ballgames is a zero sum game. If they’re all so smart, and Tebow works so hard, why couldn’t they have done both 4 years ago?
“Come to Florida, kid. You’ll win plenty, you’ll be a hero to Gator fans, and you’ll never play a meaningful down in the NFL.” Sounds like the kind of deal most hotshot HS QBs would snap up in a second, doesn’t it?
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I am with scorpio. While its nice to have players making it to the next level, and Meyer has had his share, I would rather have a coach delivering me national titles. But when you have been beaten like a rented mule by a rival as much as they have beaten us over 20 years, you look for some kind of edge I guess.
Oh and I do believe that Alex Smith was picked first in the draft, so I guess whoever coached him at Utah had HIM ready for the pros.
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yeah, Alex Smith (the prototype of the future) got drafted number 1. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…… Remind me again how great he’s worked out, would you?
If the Alex Smith experience isn’t enough to make NFL GMs wary of the “system QB” turned out by Meyer, what would be? There’s nothing like blowing millions on a total bust who had been trumpeted as The Next Great Thing to make a bean counter a little suspicious of the Next Next Great Thing from the same source.
I bear Tebow no malice. He beat us two out of three starts, he had great stats and won a lot of ballgames his last two years over there. NFL guys are a little more critical. If they say he can’t play, chances are he can’t play, no matter how emotionally involved his supporters are.
Tebow isn’t The Next Great Thing. He’s just The Next Tommie Frazier. Great college QB, no future as a pro QB.
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I thought Holmgren just picked up Tommy Frazier.
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Alligator Army isn’t as glowing.
http://www.alligatorarmy.com/2010/3/17/1377650/tim-tebow-pro-day-begins-spring
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I’m with Senator, I think some of you guys are missing the point. I’d MUCH rather have titles, but it’s about the impact this is going to have over the long haul. The truth is, you can win at the highest level in the SEC (and college football) two ways:
1) A clutch QB that doesn’t make mistakes and a dominating defense (see ’02 UGA, ’03 LSU, ’06 Florida)
2) You basically have the better QB than just about everyone you play (see Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, DJ Shockley, Tim Tebow, Matt Lienhart).
The more NFL busts Meyer has, the more difficult it’s going to be for him to recruit elite QBs, which are flat out crucial to sustained excellence.
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1)…’09 Alabama
AS for QB busts…Bradford likely goes #1, how does that reflect on Stoops and the Jason White experience (Heisman winner and never a real shot at the NFL)?
We can all play guessing games at which 5 star recruit is going to make it big in the NFL, but for every Manning that actually lives up to that hype, there are a couple of Rothlesburgers and Warners that went completely missed by the big time college guys and were turned into Super Bowl champs by the NFL coaches.
What ever Tebow does in the NFL will have far, far less effect on Florida’s recruiting as what the Gators do this year. Own Georgia and Tennessee again, in a ‘down year’, and Meyer will get what he wants in ’11 or ’12, or whenever he feels he needs a 5-star qb in his freshman class.
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so you guys think that the only reason that anyone plays this game at the highest level is to go to the pros? you are all missing the point. very few kids get that chance and i know a bunch of people with NC rings that wouldn’t trade what they have to just so they can play in the NFL? How did that work out for you guys with Stafford? All he wanted to do is go to the pros and look how that helped you guys out? no championships and no backups or starters worth a hoot for two, maybe three years … geez, you guys are always looking for something.
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Did anyone see Hank Haney try to fix Charles Barkley’s swing? His swing looked serviceable during drills and on the driving range. Like Haney was a miracle worker.
Then, Charles entered a tournament. He couldn’t get off the damn tee box before he reverted back to his “please stop doing this to golf” swing. You may be able to tinker with someone’s throwing motion or golf swing or the way they hold a pencil. But, when they stop thinking about their motion, and they start playing the game, they will revert back to their muscle memory and basic instincts. It is just the way we are wired. It will take far longer than two months to rebuild a throwing motion that someone has had for 22 years.
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which is why someone should have started trying to change it a lot longer than 2 months ago……
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The again, a certain Mr Woods has changed his swing a couple of times and seems to have made out just fine.
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Therein lies the difference between tweaks and an overhaul. Tiger “overhauls” his swing by making a few minor adjustments in his hand position and hip turn. He had one of the best swings in golf before tinkering, and still has it after tinkering.
If Tebow’s throwing motion was as close to the ideal as Tiger’s golf swing, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. Tebow’s throwing motion is as much an affront to QB’s as Barkley’s swing is to golf.
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Keep in mind…Vince Young was a Pro Bowl QB this past season!!!
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Count me among the people who will believe it when I see it in an NFL game. It’s really easy to show off your new form when there’s no pass rush. But what’s going to happen when Timmy’s under pressure? Is he still going to be thinking about his new throwing motion? Or is he going to revert back to his instinctive form and get rid of that football, most likely into the waiting arms of a defender?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Timmy’s only chance at having NFL success is landing in a situation where he can be a backup for a couple of years and just work on making the change permanent. You can’t revamp everything you have always done in five weeks, in my opinion.
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Look, TT irks me as much as the next guy not wearing jean shorts, but I ain’t gonna be betting against him. He might flop bigger than all outdoors. He might not. You say you’ll believe it when you see it. Fair enough, but I’ll also, believe it when I don’t see it. Until that time, we’ll just have the blogosphere.
Someone mentioned Big Ben earlier. His throwing motion is kinda screwy and so is Philip Rivers’. They’re both making out okay.
Believe me, I hope this all comes back to reflect poorly on UM. I’m just not holding my breath.
We really just need to be taking care of our own business and let the sleazeballs fall where they may.
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Tebow is not an NFL QB, and all the ESPN hype isn’t going to make him one. Sorry, that’s the way it is.
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This is unrelated. But man, this means my peace and tranquility on the Myers Quad has just been taken from me:
http://www.ajc.com/news/uga-sets-new-rules-381446.html
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You just beat me to the punch with that.
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Bring tasers.
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As much as we dislike Timmy, it’s sour grapes to get riled about disappointment in his overcoming the deficit in talent left him by his coach. It’s like many of you never saw what a rude, egotistical and selfish person that is at the basis of Myer’s personality. Next time any of you think you have a gripe with Richt just append Myer’s face on the thought.
Timmy has to suffer the slings and arrows of NFL scrutiny. The hurdle he has to get over has just begun. Put yourself in the place of VP for personnel in a multi-million dollar company. What kind of monetary chance would you take when selecting the guy to make your Pro Team a winner? If you don’t think the Chairman of the Board and stockholder/owner(s) are going to hold you liable for selection of the right guy then you are mistaken. Jacksonville may select him as their 4th QB and see how he does. Anytime they may put him in the lineup, they insure the Gator minions will buy tickets to admire their hero one more time and show their children the way of the Lizard King. So there is a place for Timmy no matter how trashed his throwing motion (just consider that the deficit is God’s punishment for playing for a coach who lacks honesty and good sportsmanship or if you really want to justify it, consider it as punishment for beating the Dawgs). If you think that any team out of good travel distance will look at him twice, I’ll show you a seriously deprived team at the QB spot.
I wish Timmy well preaching. I don’t , however, want to see him playing on the gridiron anymore. Now, if he overcomes the deficit and the Pros begin to clamor for him, I’m going to run like a striped-ass ape. What state has the least amount of lightening?
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Texas?
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The point 81dog is, Meyer coached a QB to a number 1 pick in the draft. What he does when he gets to the NFL is HIS NFL coaches problem, not Meyers. If Alex Smith never improves at the NFL level, it will have ZERO impact or effect on Meyer and his college coaching or recruiting. Just because you are a high draft pick doesn’t mean you cease the need to be coached up. So far, the wins and titles seem to be enough for Meyer when he enters a HS prospect’s living room.
And the college landscape is as littered as the North Campus with great college QBs that never amounted to anything in the NFL. Our beloved school has had its own share.
Furthermore,Meyer doesn’t need a 1st round draft pick to at QB to win college games.
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exactly … stop the hatin’ …
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Al, I think you are missing the point. It ain’t hate. It is the hypocrisy of saying that this guy with marginal talent is the GPOOE and all the other BS. He is a creation of media hype. FLA won because of all the players on that team (particularly on D) and Tebow got all the glory. The FLA offense run during the Tebow era let Tebow score all the touchdowns. When they got close to the goal line Tebow would either run it in himself or pass for the TD. Either way he gets credit for the TD. I’m surprised one of his own D-linemen didn’t beat the crap out of the a-hole for being such a hotdog.
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I will be the first to admit, he was a ball hog. if you balled hogged like that you would have scored all of those td’s and got all of those yards too.
now we can go back to seeing other people participating in the offense and not have receivers running wide open all day long while tebow tries to figure out who to run over once his first and second options are gone.
call me sacrilegious if you will, but them is the facts.
so yes you are correct on some of these facts, but hey Urbs does what he has to to win, not prepare people for the NFL.
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Timmy has more problems than his throwing motion. The kid’s footwork is bad, he’s uncomfortable dropping back from under center, and his reads are poor when he’s pressured. That little stew of flaws is going to hurt him with NFL scouts whose paychecks are directly tied to evaluating talent based on talent and not on what Thom Brenneman says inbetween slurps.
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“… what Thom Brenneman says inbetween [sic] slurps.”
+1
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Thanks Dog in Fla, but they execute people there who don’t cheer for the Steers by putting them in a straight jacket with a lightening rod and turning them loose in front of a storm. Otherwise, whenever lightening strikes there they cover it up politically.
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It blows my mind how many people are blowing off the fact that he is learning how to throw WEEKS BEFORE THE DRAFT
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