Tim Tebow and coach Urban Meyer stood together in one corner of the Louisiana Superdome, sang the school fight song and then offered a final gesture.
Tebow took off on a victory lap. Meyer saluted the Florida fans.
It was Tebow’s way of saying goodbye.
Tebow capped a storied college career with his finest performance. It was the best in BCS history, too.
Tebow threw for a career-high 482 yards and three touchdowns, ran for 51 yards and another score, and fifth-ranked Florida overwhelmed No. 4 Cincinnati 51-24 Friday night in the Sugar Bowl.
“It was incredible,” Tebow said. “Just a great game. It was exactly how you want to go out with these seniors and these coaches in your last game and your last time together. It just really doesn’t get any better than this.”
Florida’s most anticipated season ever ended in New Orleans instead of Pasadena. It came against Cincinnati (12-1) instead of Texas. It was about redemption instead of perfection.
None of that mattered when the Gators took the field.
Tebow wouldn’t let it.
“This has been the best four years of life,” the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner said.
He completed his first 12 passes, led the Gators to scores on their first five possessions and finished with 533 total yards—more than anyone in Bowl Championship Series history. He topped former Texas star Vince Young’s record of 467 yards set against Southern California in the 2005 Rose Bowl.
“They couldn’t stop Superman,” Gators guard Carl Johnson. “They needed some kryptonite.”
Florida, became the first school in the Football Bowl Subdivision to win 13 games in consecutive seasons.
Tebow and his teammates had hoped to repeat as national champions, but a 32-13 loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game knocked them out of the title picture.
“We tried to show coach where we should have been,” Johnson said. “We had to make a statement game, not only for us, but for coach Meyer. We had a bad game at a crucial moment, but we’re still Florida, we’re still here and we ain’t going nowhere.”
Cincinnati stacked the line of scrimmage, essentially forcing Tebow to beat them through the air. That worked for the Crimson Tide. It backfired for the Bearcats.
The bulky left-hander had all kinds of time to pass and picked apart Cincinnati’s sketchy defense. He nearly had a career game in the first half alone. He completed 20 of 23 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns, 18 yards shy of his previous career high.
Tebow completed 31 of 35 passes and finished with a 35-6 record in three years as a starter.
Florida clearly had something to prove after getting thumped in Atlanta, and Cincinnati ended up on the receiving end.
Florida finished with a Sugar Bowl-record 659 yards, and the last celebration for the most successful senior class in SEC history came on the Sugar Bowl logo.
“Guys were anxious to get it done,” linebacker Brandon Spikes said. “That game in Atlanta hurt. I told the guys we would get another opportunity to play like we know how to play, and I think we did that today.”
Showing posts with label TIM TEBOW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TIM TEBOW. Show all posts
1.01.2010
12.05.2009
TIM TEBOW - SELFLESSNESS IS COOL
Every college sport, football included, is in constant recycling mode. Stars come. And they go, bound to a four- or five-year clock. New ones come, and they go.
But in Tim Tebow's case, the routine isn't … well, so routine.
A week ago, his coach at Florida was moved to tears as the senior quarterback approached his final game at home, against Florida State. Countless cameras and cellphones flashed as Tebow ran through his final series of plays. He and the Gators won big, preserving their No. 1 BCS ranking.
Tebow has won a Heisman Trophy. Depending in part on how he performs Saturday, he could become the second player in the award's 75-year history to collect a second. He owns two national championship rings, and beckoning in Pasadena is a shot at a remarkable third in four seasons.
That would seem a fitting denouement for a rare 22-year-old whose talent, virtue and timing — have rendered him perhaps the most exalted college athlete of all time.
Vince Dooley once coached for 25 Hall of Fame seasons at Georgia and has seen his fair share of talented football players and this is what he had to say about Tebow, “Athleticism. Leadership. Charity work. His faith. You name it. I've never seen anybody who had all that in one package," he says.
"That's what puts him in a class by himself."
The son of missionaries, Tebow inherited his mother's and father's religious devotion and social conscience. He goes on missions. He has spoken and prayed in prisons, in an orphanage, in a leper colony. He's a frequent hospital volunteer.
Taking his cue, Florida coach Urban Meyer and his family took a mission trip two summers ago, and Tebow's teammates have joined him in a charity fundraiser the last two years in which they compete in tire-flipping and other strongman events.
"It's almost like selflessness is now a cool thing," Meyer says of Tebow's impact on those around him.
Package that decency into the 6-3, 240-pound body of an elite athlete. Add instinct, natural leadership, an inextinguishable will to win — and not only the will but a knack for winning.
Tebow's record as a starter at Florida is 34-5. He and the Gators (12-0) carry a two-year, 22-game winning streak into their showdown with Alabama (12-0).
He doesn't duck the attention. "There are a lot of athletes out there with a lot of platforms and a lot of opportunities to influence a lot of people and, unfortunately, there aren't many who take advantage of it and use it in a positive manner," Tebow says. "That's very disappointing. They could have huge impact on kids' lives and people's lives and even on communities and states and countries."
He concedes, "There've been moments, there've been days, when you get tired, you get frustrated, you get exhausted. You want people to believe you're doing things for the right reason, but sometimes people just look at the negative. 'It's fake. Or it's this or that.' … That's when my faith really encourages me that everything happens for a reason and God has a plan."
Fire and devotion…
ESPN was apt in entitling a documentary of his 2005 senior season of football at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, Fla., Tim Tebow: The Chosen One.
Tebow's presence has grown significantly since then. A Google search of his name delivers more than 600,000 entries. You can choose from nearly 2,500 Tebow-related links on YouTube. He has graced more Sports Illustrated covers — six in the last 16 months, sharing a seventh with two other players — than any other college athlete.
Last Saturday, after Tebow took the field against FSU and continued his tradition of inscribing a Bible verse on the glare-reducing black patches beneath his eyes, his chosen "Hebrews 12:1-2" was Google's third-most popular search term. When he cited "John 3:16" during the national championship game against Oklahoma last January, it was the day's No. 1-searched-for term.
He resonates nationally in a sport in which public interest tends to be regional. And his appeal transcends football.
When Tebow and Florida ran through their final practice of the past spring, Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean was seen scribbling notes to the side. He was in the area to recruit, he said, but he also wanted to see how the Gators coaches ran things. And he was fascinated with their quarterback.
"We used Tim in different video hits this year," Crean explained, "to show just toughness personified, doing whatever it takes, great leadership, never flinching in the pocket."
At Tennessee, budding women's basketball star Taber Spani points to Tebow as her role model. She was home-schooled as he was. Her Christian beliefs run deep, too, and the freshman guard from Lee's Summit, Mo., says Tebow's mission work inspires her to do the same.
Plus, "I love the fire he plays with," says Spani, the daughter of former Kansas State and Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Gary Spani. "It reminds me a lot of my dad when he played football. I think his spirit is contagious, and it spreads throughout the entire team as well as the fans. The way he leads his team is something I aspire to do here."
When he was a freshman and a backup to Chris Leak on the Florida team that won the 2006 national championship, Tebow commonly saw the field in short-yardage and goal-line situations, running for eight touchdowns and throwing for five more. By the time the Gators won it all again in 2008, Tebow was their centerpiece.
With a 66% completion rate, 84 TD passes and 15 interceptions in 53 career games, the left-hander is on pace to be the highest-rated passer in major-college history — his mathematical efficiency rating of 170.4 now bettering the record 168.9 set by Boise State's Ryan Dinwiddie from 2000 to 2003. Tebow also has piled up more total yardage (11,389) and been responsible for more touchdowns (140 passing and rushing) than any other player in SEC history.
"In terms of what he has accomplished and the character he's shown and the things he's done to make the world a better place and live up to his values, it's very impressive."
But in Tim Tebow's case, the routine isn't … well, so routine.
A week ago, his coach at Florida was moved to tears as the senior quarterback approached his final game at home, against Florida State. Countless cameras and cellphones flashed as Tebow ran through his final series of plays. He and the Gators won big, preserving their No. 1 BCS ranking.
Tebow has won a Heisman Trophy. Depending in part on how he performs Saturday, he could become the second player in the award's 75-year history to collect a second. He owns two national championship rings, and beckoning in Pasadena is a shot at a remarkable third in four seasons.
That would seem a fitting denouement for a rare 22-year-old whose talent, virtue and timing — have rendered him perhaps the most exalted college athlete of all time.
Vince Dooley once coached for 25 Hall of Fame seasons at Georgia and has seen his fair share of talented football players and this is what he had to say about Tebow, “Athleticism. Leadership. Charity work. His faith. You name it. I've never seen anybody who had all that in one package," he says.
"That's what puts him in a class by himself."
The son of missionaries, Tebow inherited his mother's and father's religious devotion and social conscience. He goes on missions. He has spoken and prayed in prisons, in an orphanage, in a leper colony. He's a frequent hospital volunteer.
Taking his cue, Florida coach Urban Meyer and his family took a mission trip two summers ago, and Tebow's teammates have joined him in a charity fundraiser the last two years in which they compete in tire-flipping and other strongman events.
"It's almost like selflessness is now a cool thing," Meyer says of Tebow's impact on those around him.
Package that decency into the 6-3, 240-pound body of an elite athlete. Add instinct, natural leadership, an inextinguishable will to win — and not only the will but a knack for winning.
Tebow's record as a starter at Florida is 34-5. He and the Gators (12-0) carry a two-year, 22-game winning streak into their showdown with Alabama (12-0).
He doesn't duck the attention. "There are a lot of athletes out there with a lot of platforms and a lot of opportunities to influence a lot of people and, unfortunately, there aren't many who take advantage of it and use it in a positive manner," Tebow says. "That's very disappointing. They could have huge impact on kids' lives and people's lives and even on communities and states and countries."
He concedes, "There've been moments, there've been days, when you get tired, you get frustrated, you get exhausted. You want people to believe you're doing things for the right reason, but sometimes people just look at the negative. 'It's fake. Or it's this or that.' … That's when my faith really encourages me that everything happens for a reason and God has a plan."
Fire and devotion…
ESPN was apt in entitling a documentary of his 2005 senior season of football at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, Fla., Tim Tebow: The Chosen One.
Tebow's presence has grown significantly since then. A Google search of his name delivers more than 600,000 entries. You can choose from nearly 2,500 Tebow-related links on YouTube. He has graced more Sports Illustrated covers — six in the last 16 months, sharing a seventh with two other players — than any other college athlete.
Last Saturday, after Tebow took the field against FSU and continued his tradition of inscribing a Bible verse on the glare-reducing black patches beneath his eyes, his chosen "Hebrews 12:1-2" was Google's third-most popular search term. When he cited "John 3:16" during the national championship game against Oklahoma last January, it was the day's No. 1-searched-for term.
He resonates nationally in a sport in which public interest tends to be regional. And his appeal transcends football.
When Tebow and Florida ran through their final practice of the past spring, Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean was seen scribbling notes to the side. He was in the area to recruit, he said, but he also wanted to see how the Gators coaches ran things. And he was fascinated with their quarterback.
"We used Tim in different video hits this year," Crean explained, "to show just toughness personified, doing whatever it takes, great leadership, never flinching in the pocket."
At Tennessee, budding women's basketball star Taber Spani points to Tebow as her role model. She was home-schooled as he was. Her Christian beliefs run deep, too, and the freshman guard from Lee's Summit, Mo., says Tebow's mission work inspires her to do the same.
Plus, "I love the fire he plays with," says Spani, the daughter of former Kansas State and Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Gary Spani. "It reminds me a lot of my dad when he played football. I think his spirit is contagious, and it spreads throughout the entire team as well as the fans. The way he leads his team is something I aspire to do here."
When he was a freshman and a backup to Chris Leak on the Florida team that won the 2006 national championship, Tebow commonly saw the field in short-yardage and goal-line situations, running for eight touchdowns and throwing for five more. By the time the Gators won it all again in 2008, Tebow was their centerpiece.
With a 66% completion rate, 84 TD passes and 15 interceptions in 53 career games, the left-hander is on pace to be the highest-rated passer in major-college history — his mathematical efficiency rating of 170.4 now bettering the record 168.9 set by Boise State's Ryan Dinwiddie from 2000 to 2003. Tebow also has piled up more total yardage (11,389) and been responsible for more touchdowns (140 passing and rushing) than any other player in SEC history.
"In terms of what he has accomplished and the character he's shown and the things he's done to make the world a better place and live up to his values, it's very impressive."
11.29.2009
TIM TEBOW - SENIOR NIGHT
As the most impactful player in college football history made his way around the edge of Florida Field for the last time, the poignancy of the moment was etched on thousands of faces.
Tim Tebow does a lap after each game to thank the fans who support him and the Gators.
The little girl in tears, saying, "Timmy, I love you." She got a hug. The little boy with special needs who comes to practices, he got a hug, too. Women from 12 to 60 screamed with delight after he touched their hands. Men shouted their thanks. Some rubbed his head, some smacked his shoulder pads. Thousands of fans of all ages and colors paid tribute by mimicking his trademark eye black -- the wife and daughters of the head coach among them.
As usual, so many people wanted something from Tim Tebow. As usual, he enthusiastically gave it.
He gave them the customary heroic performance during the game: 221 yards passing and three touchdowns; 90 yards rushing and two more scores. Once again, he was the driving force in a dominant Florida victory over its fading rival, Florida State, 37-10.
Then he gave them more when it was over, as his traditional postgame lap to commune with the fans turned into an eight-minute lovefest of startling intensity. Emotion fermenting for four years turned into a vintage outpouring. The record crowd of 90,907 wasn't leaving before throwing a goodbye party fit for a folk hero.
We can vigorously debate Tebow's place in college football history as a player. What's not up for debate is his unparalleled ability to provoke the deepest of feelings in fans of the sport.
He said afterward that he wants the fans to remember him for "how much I cared." The fact is, fans have never cared so much about a player before.
"I've never seen anything like it," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "… He's made unselfish a cool thing."
Tebow shared an emotional moment with coach Urban Meyer before the game.
None of us has seen anything like it. What makes Tebow unique in the 140-year history of this game is not just his unquenchable spirit. It's his generosity of spirit.
The numbers and awards are all impressive and voluminous, but they're not what have made the quarterback a historic figure in Florida and beyond. That's due to the winning attributes, the leadership qualities, the endless acts of charity performed off the field, the ability to graciously lead a heavily scrutinized life.
You just don't find all those things in a single college-aged package.
Tebow long ago entered another dimension of stardom, as his impact went viral. He is the most polarizing college athlete ever, by a wide margin, engendering the deepest of feelings across the culture.
The cynical and envious rip him -- and rip the media for saying nice things about him, claiming that he is overhyped. Some roll their eyes at his unapologetically public Christianity -- worn on his sleeve and under his eyes -- despite the authenticity that underlies it in word and deed.
It has become an unfortunate aspect of our Hater Nation mentality that many of us cannot stand too much of a good thing.
But the Tebow lovers are numerous and ardent as well. And Saturday was their day to be seen and heard.
Two hours prior to kickoff, the fans were lined up 20 deep to see Tebow make his final Gator Walk into the stadium. He walked through them in suit and tie, surrounded by law enforcement, keeping his emotions under control.
He was fine most of the day leading up to the 3:30 kickoff, though he conceded that the day seemed to be moving "in slow motion." Finally, when it was time for Senior Day festivities and the oldest Gators ran out onto the field to see their head coach and their families, Tebow lost it.
"[No.] 15 broke down pretty good when he came through that tunnel," Meyer said.
Then he broke down the Seminoles, having a hand in all five Florida touchdowns. He completed 10 straight passes at one point, and threw just four incompletions all day. He ran with power and with speed -- though not without error, fumbling at the end of a 47-yard gallop when he became preoccupied with an extended stiff-arming of a Florida State tackler.
As darkness fell in the fourth quarter and the Gators moved into the closed end of the stadium on their final scoring drive, a spontaneous electrical storm erupted in the stands. Thousands of flashbulbs popped, play after play, as fans sought to preserve for posterity Tebow's final plays in The Swamp.
He wanted his last touchdown here to be a jump pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez -- in fact, he called the play himself, giving a jumping signal to the sidelines to get his point across. Then the play was blown up when Hernandez was tackled coming off the line of scrimmage. After that it was up to Tebow to run it in one more time, pushing his SEC-record total of rushing touchdowns to 56.
Tebow extended his SEC-best rushing TDs mark on Saturday.
Shortly thereafter Tebow went to the bench for the rest of the game. He has some hugely important football still to play, most immediately and importantly the SEC championship game against fellow unbeaten Alabama.
But before moving ahead to the Crimson Tide, the last lap afforded a chance to look back and give back.
Tebow has been making the lap ever since he arrived in Gainesville, and he's always exhorted his teammates to do the same in gratitude to the fans. Sometimes they joined him in great number, sometimes they didn't. Saturday, he had a full complement of fellow Gators making the victory lap with him.
"All the seniors I talked to wanted to do it," he said with some satisfaction. "They wanted to stay and embrace that moment."
The moment kept on going, as Tebow slowly circled the field. The roars from the fans kept on coming. Nobody wanted it to end, and with good reason.
We all knew that we'll never see another player like this again.
Tim Tebow does a lap after each game to thank the fans who support him and the Gators.
The little girl in tears, saying, "Timmy, I love you." She got a hug. The little boy with special needs who comes to practices, he got a hug, too. Women from 12 to 60 screamed with delight after he touched their hands. Men shouted their thanks. Some rubbed his head, some smacked his shoulder pads. Thousands of fans of all ages and colors paid tribute by mimicking his trademark eye black -- the wife and daughters of the head coach among them.
As usual, so many people wanted something from Tim Tebow. As usual, he enthusiastically gave it.
He gave them the customary heroic performance during the game: 221 yards passing and three touchdowns; 90 yards rushing and two more scores. Once again, he was the driving force in a dominant Florida victory over its fading rival, Florida State, 37-10.
Then he gave them more when it was over, as his traditional postgame lap to commune with the fans turned into an eight-minute lovefest of startling intensity. Emotion fermenting for four years turned into a vintage outpouring. The record crowd of 90,907 wasn't leaving before throwing a goodbye party fit for a folk hero.
We can vigorously debate Tebow's place in college football history as a player. What's not up for debate is his unparalleled ability to provoke the deepest of feelings in fans of the sport.
He said afterward that he wants the fans to remember him for "how much I cared." The fact is, fans have never cared so much about a player before.
"I've never seen anything like it," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "… He's made unselfish a cool thing."
Tebow shared an emotional moment with coach Urban Meyer before the game.
None of us has seen anything like it. What makes Tebow unique in the 140-year history of this game is not just his unquenchable spirit. It's his generosity of spirit.
The numbers and awards are all impressive and voluminous, but they're not what have made the quarterback a historic figure in Florida and beyond. That's due to the winning attributes, the leadership qualities, the endless acts of charity performed off the field, the ability to graciously lead a heavily scrutinized life.
You just don't find all those things in a single college-aged package.
Tebow long ago entered another dimension of stardom, as his impact went viral. He is the most polarizing college athlete ever, by a wide margin, engendering the deepest of feelings across the culture.
The cynical and envious rip him -- and rip the media for saying nice things about him, claiming that he is overhyped. Some roll their eyes at his unapologetically public Christianity -- worn on his sleeve and under his eyes -- despite the authenticity that underlies it in word and deed.
It has become an unfortunate aspect of our Hater Nation mentality that many of us cannot stand too much of a good thing.
But the Tebow lovers are numerous and ardent as well. And Saturday was their day to be seen and heard.
Two hours prior to kickoff, the fans were lined up 20 deep to see Tebow make his final Gator Walk into the stadium. He walked through them in suit and tie, surrounded by law enforcement, keeping his emotions under control.
He was fine most of the day leading up to the 3:30 kickoff, though he conceded that the day seemed to be moving "in slow motion." Finally, when it was time for Senior Day festivities and the oldest Gators ran out onto the field to see their head coach and their families, Tebow lost it.
"[No.] 15 broke down pretty good when he came through that tunnel," Meyer said.
Then he broke down the Seminoles, having a hand in all five Florida touchdowns. He completed 10 straight passes at one point, and threw just four incompletions all day. He ran with power and with speed -- though not without error, fumbling at the end of a 47-yard gallop when he became preoccupied with an extended stiff-arming of a Florida State tackler.
As darkness fell in the fourth quarter and the Gators moved into the closed end of the stadium on their final scoring drive, a spontaneous electrical storm erupted in the stands. Thousands of flashbulbs popped, play after play, as fans sought to preserve for posterity Tebow's final plays in The Swamp.
He wanted his last touchdown here to be a jump pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez -- in fact, he called the play himself, giving a jumping signal to the sidelines to get his point across. Then the play was blown up when Hernandez was tackled coming off the line of scrimmage. After that it was up to Tebow to run it in one more time, pushing his SEC-record total of rushing touchdowns to 56.
Tebow extended his SEC-best rushing TDs mark on Saturday.
Shortly thereafter Tebow went to the bench for the rest of the game. He has some hugely important football still to play, most immediately and importantly the SEC championship game against fellow unbeaten Alabama.
But before moving ahead to the Crimson Tide, the last lap afforded a chance to look back and give back.
Tebow has been making the lap ever since he arrived in Gainesville, and he's always exhorted his teammates to do the same in gratitude to the fans. Sometimes they joined him in great number, sometimes they didn't. Saturday, he had a full complement of fellow Gators making the victory lap with him.
"All the seniors I talked to wanted to do it," he said with some satisfaction. "They wanted to stay and embrace that moment."
The moment kept on going, as Tebow slowly circled the field. The roars from the fans kept on coming. Nobody wanted it to end, and with good reason.
We all knew that we'll never see another player like this again.
9.16.2009
TIM TEBOW - THE PLEDGE
THE PLEDGE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sGv2Zw-WQw
The Florida Gators' championship season in 2008 didn't start out as a promising one. They struggled in early wins and then lost, 31-30, to unranked conference rival Mississippi; but the team turned a corner after Tim Tebow made what is now known simply as "The Podium Speech" in which he made a promise that changed their season.
It wasn't Joe Namath predicting an upset. It wasn't Tim Tebow guaranteeing a National Championship. It was a leader apologizing to fans and teammates for his poor play, then stating: "A lot of good will come out of this. You will never see any player in the entire country who will play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season." (View full video)
At that moment, Tebow wasn't just the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. He was a junior quarterback who was 6-5 as a starter in SEC games and bowl play. It is hard to remember now that before Tebow stood at that podium and laid himself on the line, there were rumblings that he was an overrated collegiate star who had great individual statistics, but couldn't lead his team.
What changed from that moment at the podium was the Greatness of a leader taking responsibility. The key to what makes Tebow so highly respected now is that when the team failed, he publicly and promptly invited additional attention to himself for the failure and set expectations for change. Because he understood his role as a team leader, he made himself accountable on behalf of his team...and then, as he promised, he brought the team along with him. All the way to the National Championship.
While I selfishly hope Tebow gets the chance to make another Podium Speech after Florida State's visit to Gainesville this November, his work on and off the field make him a true study in Greatness.
Tips from the Great Ones
The 2008 season ended with several teams claiming they should play for the National Championship. Several one-loss teams that lost to opponents on the road claimed that they should have gotten a chance before Florida, who lost to Mississippi at home. But Tebow's Podium Speech resonated with pollsters, who watched Florida run the table the rest of the season and rewarded the Gators with a shot at a second national championship in three years.
Who knows if Mark Sanchez at USC had done the same thing after the Trojans' lone loss to Oregon State or if Colt McCoy of Texas had done the same thing after their only loss if their teams would have been in the BCS game at the end of the season instead of the Gators. But they didn't ... and Tebow did, offering a post-game promise unlike anything most college sports reporters had ever seen. As a result, his team was part of the discussion every week until the end of the season. The great ones understand that personal accountability commands respect and inspires confidence.
If your performance has been lacking, don't be afraid to say so. By accepting responsibility, you can create a culture of accountability within your organization and put yourself in a place to lead your team to its peak. It's what Tebow did, and it inspired his team to a National Championship. What can you do in pursuit of Greatness?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sGv2Zw-WQw
The Florida Gators' championship season in 2008 didn't start out as a promising one. They struggled in early wins and then lost, 31-30, to unranked conference rival Mississippi; but the team turned a corner after Tim Tebow made what is now known simply as "The Podium Speech" in which he made a promise that changed their season.
It wasn't Joe Namath predicting an upset. It wasn't Tim Tebow guaranteeing a National Championship. It was a leader apologizing to fans and teammates for his poor play, then stating: "A lot of good will come out of this. You will never see any player in the entire country who will play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season." (View full video)
At that moment, Tebow wasn't just the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. He was a junior quarterback who was 6-5 as a starter in SEC games and bowl play. It is hard to remember now that before Tebow stood at that podium and laid himself on the line, there were rumblings that he was an overrated collegiate star who had great individual statistics, but couldn't lead his team.
What changed from that moment at the podium was the Greatness of a leader taking responsibility. The key to what makes Tebow so highly respected now is that when the team failed, he publicly and promptly invited additional attention to himself for the failure and set expectations for change. Because he understood his role as a team leader, he made himself accountable on behalf of his team...and then, as he promised, he brought the team along with him. All the way to the National Championship.
While I selfishly hope Tebow gets the chance to make another Podium Speech after Florida State's visit to Gainesville this November, his work on and off the field make him a true study in Greatness.
Tips from the Great Ones
The 2008 season ended with several teams claiming they should play for the National Championship. Several one-loss teams that lost to opponents on the road claimed that they should have gotten a chance before Florida, who lost to Mississippi at home. But Tebow's Podium Speech resonated with pollsters, who watched Florida run the table the rest of the season and rewarded the Gators with a shot at a second national championship in three years.
Who knows if Mark Sanchez at USC had done the same thing after the Trojans' lone loss to Oregon State or if Colt McCoy of Texas had done the same thing after their only loss if their teams would have been in the BCS game at the end of the season instead of the Gators. But they didn't ... and Tebow did, offering a post-game promise unlike anything most college sports reporters had ever seen. As a result, his team was part of the discussion every week until the end of the season. The great ones understand that personal accountability commands respect and inspires confidence.
If your performance has been lacking, don't be afraid to say so. By accepting responsibility, you can create a culture of accountability within your organization and put yourself in a place to lead your team to its peak. It's what Tebow did, and it inspired his team to a National Championship. What can you do in pursuit of Greatness?
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