New England Patriots quarterback Tim Tebow is finally on the backburner when it comes to the media, as former Gators and NE teammate Aaron Hernandez is locked up for murder and that has been the main story in Boston.
While he has been getting some attention for the possibility of playing tight end now that Hernandez's career is likely over, it is relatively more quiet than usual. The media went crazy when the Patriots signed him and while many felt that he would be used as a tight end or at another position, the Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick were clear that they looked at him as a quarterback first and nothing else as of yet.
Now that Hernandez has been arrested and released, that could change things due to Rob Gronkoswki's surgery, but it also could mean more playing time for a now-healthy Jake Ballard. Tebow has been quiet for the Hernandez murder, spending time working out at the IMG Academy and also speaking at a special event that included an Alabama Christian Retreat For Father's Day Weekend and he has done others in the past.
At one such talk, Tebow mentioned his love for the Cowboys growing up and he said that he was a huge Emmitt Smith fan since he is from Florida and loved the Gators. Tebow added that he followed the Cowboys in his younger days and although he never got to meet Smith, he loved watching him play. Tebow described a moment during a game in his junior year when the Gators were playing the championship in Miami and he said at the time he ran the ball eight or nine times on a 13-play drive.
Tebow said that he was so tired and exhausted and after he scored made it into the endzone and mentioned that he jogged over to the sideline and went down on one knee. He was simply tired, not pulling his Tebowing move and he mentioned how his helmet rolled away for a moment. When he went to grab it he saw a cuff link on an arm grab it and when he looked up he saw Emmitt Smith with the helmet and after giving it back and saying 'go get em" he went back on the field and said he was so amped up he even told Percy Harvin about it.
Those were the prime Florida days for Tebow and he played with Hernandez there and the second time around they were teammates for much shorter, as the Patriots released the tight end after the murder arrest. Tebow is now one of a couple Gators on the team and Hernandez may face life in prison.
On his favorite team growing up:
"I was actually a Dallas Cowboys fan. I love the University of Florida. I love the Gators. I love Emmitt Smith, and Emmitt Smith went on to be Cowboy so I always followed the Cowboys. I loved him. I loved watching him play. I never got to meet him. I always looked up to him, and I always loved the Cowboys and we were playing in my junior year in the national championship in Miami and we had just gone on a 13-play drive and I had probably ran the ball eight or nine times on this drive as hard as I possibly could so I was exhausted and after we scored, I was in the end zone going crazy, getting the crowd hyped so I come over jogging to the sideline and I was so excited and I got on a knee. I really wasn't Tebowing, I just couldn't breathe. I got on a knee and kind of set my helmet down, and it rolled away so I kind of leaned over to grab my helmet and all of a sudden, I see this blinged out cuff link grab my helmet so I started to lean back, and I see Emmitt Smith with my helmet, and he sticks it my chest and says 'go get them. You've got 20 more minutes. Finish this thing.' I was like what's up Emmitt Smith. It's like two plays later, Ahmad Black got an interception, and I'm jogging back on the field, and I'm like Percy (Harvin) did you see that? I just gave Emmitt Smith a hug. It was pretty cool to meet him. He was one of my heroes and role models."
