Another team has emerged as a possible suitor for Olympic sprinter Jeff Demps, and it's the New York Jets who have their eyes on the American silver medalist.
Manish Mehta, who covers the Jets for the New York Daily News, reported Thursday on his Twitter account (@MMehtaNYDN) that the Jets have sought an opinion on Demps from someone who knows him quite well: quarterback Tim Tebow.
"Tim Tebow says that the Jets reached out to him to get his thoughts on Free agent Jeff Demps, who is on team's radar," Mehta tweeted.
Tebow played two seasons with Demps at the University of Florida, including the 2008 season that saw the Gators capture their second national championship in three years. That year, Demps' freshman campaign in Gainesville, saw him carry the ball 78 times for 605 yards and seven touchdowns while catching 15 passes for 141 yards and another score.
Demps was projected as a fifth- or sixth-round pick following his senior season in Gainesville, but went undrafted after informing teams that he was planning on focusing on his track career. Demps was part of the US men's 4 x 100-meter relay team that won a silver medal in London this summer, placing second behind the Jamaican team that featured Usain Bolt. Following the Olympics, Demps filed papers with the NFL to begin a pro football career.
According to Demps' agent, several teams have expressed interest, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If the Jets want to beat out the field, it won't be because of Tebow's influence over his former teammate, according to Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger.
"Tebow said Jets asked him about Jeff Demps," Vrentas posted on her Twitter account (@JennyVrentas). "Said he'd love to have him with Jets. Won't recruit but may talk to him as a friend."
The Jets' next preseason game is on Saturday night against the Giants in the "Metlife Bowl."
