Before throwing one of the most famous passes in franchise history, former Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow posted one of the best collegiate careers of all time.
In a recent ranking of the top 25 college football players of the 21st century, ESPN recognized the former Florida Gator by awarding him the No. 6 ranking on the list.
Tebow had a standout career at Florida, highlighted by winning the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and two national titles in 2006 and 2008. He finished his college career with 9,285 passing yards and 88 touchdown passes, along with 2,947 rushing yards and 57 rushing touchdowns.
“After serving as a short-yardage, red zone specialist during Florida’s 2006 national title run, Tebow moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore and immediately became the sport’s best and most defining player,” ESPN’s Bill Connelly wrote. “… Does your home stadium have a plaque immortalizing a postgame speech from its starting quarterback? Because Florida’s does.”
After his remarkable college career, Tebow was selected by the Broncos in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft and delivered some “Tebow Magic” during the 2011 season. After stepping into the starting role in Week 7, Tebow led the Broncos to wins in seven of his first eight starts, including a six-game win streak. During the regular season, Tebow posted six game-winning drives in either the fourth quarter or overtime.
In January of 2012, Tebow completed arguably one of the most iconic passes in NFL history. As heavy underdogs, Denver took Pittsburgh to overtime during the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. With the new NFL overtime rules in effect, Tebow sealed the victory for Denver on the very first play from scrimmage, completing a pass to Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown. Tebow’s pass to Thomas remains an indelible moment in Broncos history and was ranked as one of the top 100 plays in NFL history in 2019.
Click here to view ESPN’s list of college football’s top 25 players of the 21st century.
