In an interview with 790 The Zone in Atlanta, GA, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow discussed a variety of topics including how he manages his many responsibilities, his thoughts about his statue outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and how he is finding a silver lining in the current NFL lockout situation.

Tebow also dove into more detail on his decision to attend Florida instead of Alabama, where then-head coach Mike Shula had almost solidified his commitment. In addition to all of the other factors, Tebow explained how former Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer ended up getting him to change his mind.

“It was very close. I mean, down to the very last second I had no idea where I was going to go and it was between two great schools. My whole high school career, I thought I was going to Alabama because Urban wasn’t at Florida at that time, and they had Coach Shula — I loved him, I respected him as family, I loved the passion Alabama fans had for the game. That was something, you watch me play, I love it, I’m passionate about it, and seeing those fans, I loved it, I was in to it. And they had great players and I had become friends with a lot of their players, so most of my high school career I honestly thought I was going to Alabama.

“Then this guy named Urban Meyer got the job at Florida, and he worked harder than any coach at single handedly trying to recruit for a year and a half. And at the end I bought into it, I believed him. You could see something about this guy in his eyes – that fire, that passion – that he’s something special, that he’s going to do something special. And I believed I could lead his team to do something extremely special. And I believed that. At the end of the day, that’s why I went to Florida. It wasn’t because it was close to home, it wasn’t because of the spread offense, it was because I believed in the man Urban Meyer.”

You can read the entire interview here, courtesy of the good folks at SportsRadioInterviews.com or listen to it by playing the file below.

Tim Tebow on 790 The Zone

Photo Credit: John Raoux/Associated Press

Tags: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Denver Broncos, Mike Shula, NFL, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

He’s recently had a bronze statue unveiled outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in his honor, took part in a documentary made about his trials and tribulations while preparing for the 2010 NFL Draft and will be releasing a memoir about his life in the coming weeks, but former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow will also be in the toy collections of young boys and girls (and superfans) in a form of an action figure.

McFarlane Toys will be releasing eight College Football Series 3 action figures for ages 5+ featuring eight NFL players who starred for their colleges. In addition to Tebow, McFarlane’s SportsPicks will feature Joseph Addai (LSU), Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma), Troy Polamalu (USC), Ray Rice (Rutgers), Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska), Beanie Wells (Ohio State) and Charles Woodson (Michigan).

Below are pictures of Tebow’s six-inch, originally painted action figure (more here):

Tags: Adrian Peterson, Beanie Wells, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Charles Woodson, Joseph Addai, Ndamukong Suh, NFL, Ray Rice, Tim Tebow, Troy Polamalu

Event: 2011 Orange & Blue Debut – Florida Gators spring football
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Gainesville, FL [Capacity: 88,548]
Time: 12:00 p.m. (EST)

Online Video: —–>

Radio appearance: Adam Silverstein will be previewing the Florida Gators’ spring game Saturday on Sirius-122/XM-143 College Sports Nation at approximately 11 a.m. Tune in.

EVENT INFORMATION

» Gator Walk: North side of stadium, exterior, 9:30 a.m. start
» Parking: The following parking locations are available first-come, first-serve for fans wishing to attend the game – O’Connell Center garage, O’Connell Center lot (disabled), Commuter Lot (Lemerand Dr.) with shuttle
» Heisman Statue Ceremony: UF will unveil three statues of the school’s Heisman Trophy winners – Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996) and Tim Tebow (2007) – on the westside of the stadium at halftime of the game near the skybox entrance. Those inside the stadium will not be allowed to exit for the ceremony but will be able to watch the unveiling live inside The Swamp after watching a brief video introduction. Spurrier, Wuerffel and Tebow will all provide remarks to the crowd after the unveiling, though only Wuerffel and Tebow are expected to be in attendance.
» Former Gators in attendance: QB Tebow, QB Wuerffel, LB Mike Peterson, RB Fred Taylor, C Maurkice & Mike Pouncey, WR Riley Cooper, WR David Nelson, LB Brandon Spikes, DE Carlos Dunlap, DB Dorian Munroe, DE Jarvis Moss, DT Joe Cohen, RB Kesthan Moore, etc.
» Recruits in attendance (List courtesy of InsideTheGators.com): LB Jeremi Powell (commit), RB Matt Jones (commit), LB Tyriq McCord, OT Patrick Miller, OT Avery Young, DE Jelani Hamilton, ATH Angelo Jean-Louis, ATH Amos Leggett, ATH Nelson Agholor, LB Noor Davis, OL Evan Goodman, ATH Marcus Maye, DT Korren Kirven, TE Kurt Freitag, DE Jhaustin Thomas, LB Tashon Whitehurst, S Ladarion Young, LB Trey Johnson (2013), RB Kelvin Taylor (2013), LB Leon McQuay III (2013), etc.

Additional information including the game format, injury report, team notes and who to keep an eye on all are available…after the break!
Continue Reading » 2011 Orange & Blue Debut – Gameday Preview

Tags: A.C. Leonard, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Brian White, Caleb Sturgis, Charlie Weis, Chris Martin, Chris Rainey, Clay Burton, D.J. Durkin, Danny Wuerffel, Deonte Thompson, Dominique Easley, Frankie Hammond, Gerald Christian, Heisman Trophy, Javares McRoy, Jeff Driskel, John Brantley, Jonotthan Harrison, Jordan Reed, Kyle Christy, Matt Elam, Omarius Hines, Orange & Blue Debut, Quinton Dunbar, Robert Clark, Ronald Powell, Sharrif Floyd, Solomon Patton, Steve Spurrier, The Swamp, Tim Tebow, Trey Burton

Seven letterwinners, including Gator Greats Mike Peterson (football) and Bob Emrick (men’s basketball), will be inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame 2011 class on Friday. The F Club and Gator Boosters, Inc. will hand out these prestigious honors to the group of Florida Gators at the Hall of Fame Banquet on April 8, 2011, in the Holloway Touchdown Terrace at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

According to UF, “inductees are divided into three different categories: Gator Greats, Distinguished Letterwinners and Honorary Letterwinners.” The remainder of the induction class includes Gator Greats Dawn Buth (women’s tennis), Judd Davis (football), Michelle Freeman (women’s track & field), Mimosa McNerney (women’s swimming), Distinguished Letterwinner Keith Tribble (football), and Honorary Letterwinner Dr. Richard Shaara (team physician).

More about each inductee and their career accomplishments after the break.
Continue Reading » Peterson, Emrick highlight 2011 Hall of Fame class

Tags: All-American, All-SEC, Atlanta Falcons, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Bob Emrick, Dawn Buth, F Club, Gator Boosters, Hall of Fame, Holloway Touchdown Terrace, Indianapolis Colts, Judd Davis, Keith Tribble, Michelle Freeman, Mike Peterson, Mimosa McNerney, National Championship, SEC, SEC Championship

1 » A four-star quarterback coming out of high school who received a full ride to play on the gridiron for the Florida Gators, Jacoby Brissett has stated on more than one occasion that he also hopes to play basketball at the collegiate level. Why? Because of a promise he made his mother when he was younger. “My mom told me to keep my options open,” Brissett told The Washington Post. “I can’t go back on what she said. […] I came to Dwyer to play basketball and I made a promise to my [football] coach that whichever sport I got my first scholarship offer from, I would stick to.” The Post reports that Brissett was initially offered a football scholarship from Boston College as a freshman in high school. He also confirmed what Florida’s coaches have said, that playing basketball is a decision he is free to make for himself.

2 » Continuing his series of feature stories about the newest members of the Gators coaching staff, University of Flordia senior writer Scott Carter sat down with defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson for a one-on-one interview. Robinson told Carter that he would have committed to and played for Florida (if they had offered him a scholarship) and has a great appreciation for Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and its intimidating atmosphere for opponents. “I’ve been on the wrong side of this stadium before. It’s a pretty hostile environment, a tough place to play,” Robinson says he tells prospective players. “It’s one of the best stadiums I’ve ever been in. It’s just nice to be on this side.” He also discussed how head coach Will Muschamp has helped him navigate his young coaching career including giving him an ultimatium early on. “It’s a tremendous honor to be a part of his first staff,” Robinson said. “It means a lot to me and my family to work with a guy who we share the same beliefs. He taught me everything I know pretty much about this coaching profession.”

Below is a portion of Carter’s interview with Robinson. To read the rest, just click here.

Q: Since he has been such a huge influence, what is the most prominent lesson you have taken from Coach Muschamp?
A: The biggest lesson I take from Coach Muschamp is to work at a level that your opponent is unable and unwilling to match. That’s what we talk about all the time. We want to outwork guys in recruiting, we want to outwork guys in preparation, we want to outwork guys in teaching technique. We work, work, work.

Q: You played defensive back and now you coach them. What makes an ideal defensive back?
A: The No. 1 criteria and pedigree for a successful defensive back is confidence. Often times, especially for a corner, you are going to be out on an island. There are 90,000 people in the stands – and assuming everyone has two eyeballs – that’s 180,000 eyeballs watching you, so when the ball goes up, all the attention is on you. You are on the grand stage. When you think of it like that, you’ve got to have guts. If you have the fundamentals and the mentality, you can be successful.

Tags: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Jacoby Brissett, Travaris Robinson, Will Muschamp

The University of Florida announced Thursday that the three statues the school created to commemorate Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996) and Tim Tebow (2007) will be unveiled outside of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at halftime of the 2011 Orange & Blue Debut on April 9.

Spurrier, Wuerffel and Tebow will all “have a level of participation in the event,” according to the university, a statement that indicates a possibility that all three may not physically be in Gainesville, FL. Fans in attendance to watch the Florida Gators‘ spring game will be able to view the unveiling live on the scoreboards inside The Swamp.

“We are very proud to recognize the accomplishments of our Heisman Trophy winners,” said senior associate athletics director Chip Howard in a statement. “The statues will give our fans an opportunity to see and capture a real-life visual image of each of the storied athletes. We are grateful for the private donations that made the project possible. We are also thankful for the work and cooperation of the Campus Facilities Planning and Construction Department that assisted us in following University policy and procedure that helped bring this project to fruition. The sculptor, Sandy Proctor, was meticulous in every phase of the process and did a tremendous job bringing the likeness and personality to each of the statues.”

Each statue is 15 percent larger than life-sized and will feature the players in different stances. Tebow will have the ball tucked and in a running motion while Spurrier and Wuerffel will be dropping back to pass, The Gainesville Sun reported last June. In all, the statues cost approximately $550,000 – all funded by private donations.

“It was a huge, huge honor to think that they would be interested in putting those up. And certainly to be next to those two guys even makes it even more special for me – my coach and a friend. Hopefully we’ll have room for many more in the next few years,” Wuerffel told OGGOA during an interview in August 2010.

Tags: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Danny Wuerffel, Heisman Trophy, Orange & Blue Debut, Steve Spurrier, The Swamp, Tim Tebow, University of Florida

The Will Muschamp era of Florida Gators football will begin with a measure put in place that even former head coach Urban Meyer did not institute during his time in the orange and blue: 2011 spring practice will be closed to the public.

“With a new coaching staff here teaching our system, we feel like minimizing our distractions is important,’’ Muschamp said in an official statement. “We realize that there is high interest from the fans, and we are extremely appreciative of the support that The Gator Nation gives us. We hope that they understand that this decision has been made in the interest of helping our program be successful on Saturdays this fall by allowing our team to learn and develop together in this type of environment.

“We also respect that the media have a job to do and understand that this creates a challenge for them, so we ask for their patience with us as we work through our first spring practice here at Florida.’’

Fans will be able to get their first look at the new Gators team on April 9 at the 2011 Orange & Blue Debut spring game. The event will air live on Sun Sports beginning at noon. Tickets are free for students, Gator Boosters and members of the Alumni Association and F Club. A limited number of free tickets are available to the public; otherwise the cost is $5 per person.

Florida also announced Wednesday that Pro Day will be held for those players hoping to be selected in the 2011 NFL Draft on March 15 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Among those expected to participated, according to UF, are center Mike Pouncey, safety Ahmad Black, punter Chas Henry and guard Carl Johnson.

OGGOA has previously been informed that running back Emmanuel Moody, defensive linemen Terron Sanders and Justin Trattou will also be participating along with a number of other former seniors/graduates.

In the past, Pro Day had been open to both the public and the media. This time around, only the media will be allowed to attend.

“Pro Day is an extremely important day for the career hopes of these players, and they’ve spent an enormous amount of time and energy preparing for it,” Florida associate athletics director for communications Steve McClain said in a release.

“We feel that creating a more private environment and minimizing potential distractions will help give them the best chance to perform up to their potential. We also feel like it’s become more important than ever for us to monitor who is around our team and student-athletes, and taking this step provides us an even greater ability to manage that.”

Tags: Ahmad Black, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Carl Johnson, Chas Henry, Draft, Emmanuel Moody, F Club, Gator Boosters, Gator Nation, Justin Trattou, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Orange & Blue Debut, Pro Day, Steve McClain, Terron Sanders, Urban Meyer, Will Muschamp

Announced as ESPN’s newest college football analyst on Monday, former Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer said at the time he would continue working with the University of Florida in a to be determined capacity. Just two days later, Meyer and Florida have mutually agreed to end their financial agreement..

Fueled by concerns over potential NCAA recruiting violations (and likely a perceived bias on his part), Meyer will no longer be paid by UF; it is unknown if he will be allowed to retain his office inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

“The University of Florida has been a big part of my personal and professional life for the past six years and while I will no longer be able to continue a professional relationship with the University, I will continue to support the many friends I made during my time there,” Meyer said in a statement released by the university.

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley also shared his thoughts on the decision.

“We are happy for Coach Meyer that he is getting a chance to stay involved with college football – he has so much passion for the game and the players. He will provide great insight and background for ESPN’s audiences,” he said. “We were pleased to provide Coach Meyer with an opportunity within our athletic department, but the chance to work for ESPN was a perfect fit for him and his family. He will always be welcome here and we are forever indebted for what he accomplished and how he represented the University of Florida. He gave every ounce of energy to this program for six years and we certainly share a special bond with him. We will always remain close friends and I look forward to seeing him enjoy the next chapter in his life. Coach Meyer will always be a Gator.”

Meyer’s agent and former Gators star Trace Armstrong went more in-depth with the Orlando Sentinel on the mutual decision.

“Jeremy did it as a favor; he wanted Urban to understand that he was still a part of the program,” Armstrong told Mike Bianchi. “Nobody anticipated this would a problem with the NCAA. Usually, when a former coach is on ESPN, he has been fired and has broken ties with the school. This was a unique situation. In the end, we just thought this was the best resolution and the cleanest way to do it. This way, it removes any questions.”

Tags: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, ESPN, Jeremy Foley, NCAA, Trace Armstrong, University of Florida, Urban Meyer