It took former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow over a month to decide whether or not he would attend the 2010 NFL Draft in person at Radio City Music Hall in New York, NY. In the end, the answer was a simple “thanks but no thanks,” as the signal caller chose to return home to Jacksonville, FL, for a gathering with family, friends, his agent Jimmy Sexton and head coach Urban Meyer.

The motivating factor in Tebow’s decision was not potential embarrassment of being drafted late but rather his desire to remain with those closest to him during one of the most important processes of his life.

“That’s such a moment that will be exciting and special, so I don’t want to just celebrate that with people that I don’t really know and haven’t really been around just to be there in New York,” Tebow told OGGOA on March 27. “I want to be around my close friends and my family. So if that’s something we can work out or not, I’ll probably be with my family. I think it’s also just figuring out what’s with my schedule and everything. But then also just being around my family and figuring out what would be fun and what would be the easiest, most relaxed, comfortable spot.”

Tebow was already in New York for a promotional appearance with EA Sports (he is featured on the cover of the NCAA Football 11 video game) but chose not to stay.

Florida cornerback Joe Haden will be the sole player representing the school in New York and one of 24 former student-athletes who will be in attendance.

Tags: Draft, EA Sports, Jimmy Sexton, Joe Haden, NCAA Football 11, NFL, Radio City Music Hall, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

EA Sports has officially released the cover art for their NCAA Football 11 video game featuring former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow.

The game will likely be released the second week of July.

Check out OGGOA‘s original story on Tebow being named the game’s cover athlete.

Tags: EA Sports, NCAA Football 11, Tim Tebow

Former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has officially landed on the cover of EA Sports’ NCAA Football 11 video game.

EA Sports NCAA Football 11 Cover Shoot Video

Tebow, who recently signed an endorsement deal with Nike, is the second Florida player to be featured on the game franchise’s cover. His childhood idol and Heisman Trophy winning QB Danny Wuerffel was the cover athlete of NCAA Football 98, the first installment of the genre’s best-selling series.

Now we know why Tebow was so hesitant to give OGGOA a decisive answer on this topic when we interviewed him over a week ago. “[Laughing] EA, we’ll see,” he said.

Best of all for Tebow, his relationship with EA Sports extends beyond simple promotion. The video game company has done wonders to help him give sick children in Gainesville, FL, something to do while in the hospital.

“It’s exciting to be with EA Sports because when you look at their brand, it’s very positive. It’s great for young kids, it’s great for everyone to sit down and play a good video game,” Tebow told ESPN. That’s something that’s uplifting and something everyone can have fun with. We spent the last year building a play room at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, and these games are going to be a big part of it.”

Read Tebow’s entire interview with ESPN Video Games.

Jon Robinson: What was your reaction the first time you saw yourself in a video game?
Tim Tebow: First thing I thought was, I’m faster than that. [Llughs] I wanted to call some people and get my speed rating bumped up a little bit. But it’s fun to be a part of the game. It’s something that exciting, and it’s a little surreal to be honest, because you’re playing as yourself in a game that you grew up playing. As a kid, I always looked up to these guys who were on the cover of the college game, so it’s a really fun experience for me just to be involved.

JR: What did you think the first time you saw your video game character throw an interception?
TT: To be honest, I don’t actually play as Florida a lot. Even the last four years I haven’t played as them too often because they’re really good in the game and it’s too much of an advantage for whoever is playing as them. Usually we pick lesser teams. But the other day I was playing against my brother and he was playing as Florida, and he was trying to scramble around, he was running to his left and threw all the way back down the field to his right like 80 yards. I was like, “There’s no way I could’ve made that pass.” So sometimes the video games exaggerate a little bit. But my brother was like, “What, are you doubting yourself? You don’t have confidence?” It was pretty funny.

Starting with NCAA Football 09, EA Sports began featuring different student-athletes on the game’s cover for each individual platform (PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox360, Wii, etc.) It is unknown if Tebow would grace the 2011 game’s cover on one or every format.

Photo Credit: Jon Robinson/ESPN

Tags: Danny Wuerffel, EA Sports, Heisman Trophy, NCAA Football 11, Tim Tebow

ESPN‘s Adam Schefter reports that former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has agreed to an endorsement contract with Nike. The global shoe and apparel brand, according to Schefter’s report, signed Tebow to a deal worth just under $300,000 per year. However, it is said to include incentives that could significantly boost his pay likely depending on a variety of factors including sales and performance.

Since graduating, Tebow has already done a promotional appearance with Gatorade (a relationship that may continue) and is believed to be the cover athlete for EA Sports‘ NCAA Football 11 video game. He has also agreed to a partnership with Palm Beach Autographs for his John Hancock.

Seeing as the findings of a recent study had Tebow already being more popular and appealing than future hall of famers Brett Favre and Tom Brady and more of a trendsetter than Super Bowl winners Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning, there will likely be plenty of additional endorsement money coming in his future.

OGGOA will update this story as more information is made available.

Original Photo Credit: Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Tags: EA Sports, Gatorade, NCAA Football 11, Nike, Tim Tebow

Life has been a whirlwind for former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow ever since his team took down the Cincinnati Bearcats in the 2010 Sugar Bowl. From being the subject of a documentary to changing his mechanics and participating in both the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl and 2010 NFL Scouting Combine to making media appearances, hosting autograph signings and scheduling individual team workouts, Tebow has been on the move while trying to figure out where it is that he will actually move to on a more permanent basis in about a month’s time.

Saturday, Tebowmania took over Palm Beach County, as the Heisman Trophy winner and two-time National Champion participated in an autograph signing/charity event partially benefiting the Tim Tebow Foundation.

Read the rest of OGGOA’s meeting with Tim Tebow…after the break!
Continue Reading » Tim Tebow speaks on charity, the draft and his future at autograph signing in Palm Beach

Tags: Boy Scouts of America, combine, D1 Sports Training, Draft, EA Sports, Gatorade, Jimmy Sexton, NCAA Football 11, NFL, Special Olympics, Tim Tebow, Tim Tebow Foundation, Urban Meyer

CNBC Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell was curious about the money making potential of former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow. Seeing as Tebow will likely be on the cover of NCAA Football 11 and is set to appear in a television commercial during Super Bowl XLIV, Rovell sought out the Davie-Brown Index to compare Tebow’s endorsement potential to others at his position currently playing in the NFL.

The findings were simple: Tebow is already more popular and appealing than future hall of famers Brett Favre and Tom Brady and more of a trendsetter than Super Bowl winners Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning.

It is important to remember that Tebow has already achieved these DBI ratings without competing in the Senior Bowl, working out at the NFL Combine or even being selected in the 2010 NFL Draft – yet. It looks like he will have plenty of money to donate to the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association even if he does not end up succeeding in the professional ranks. Don’t worry – he will.

Photo Credit: Mark Seliger, GQ

UPDATE: As OGGOA reported yesterday, CBS was in the process of reviewing Tebow’s Focus on the Family advertisement. Sports Business Daily mentioned Wednesday that the script for the Super Bowl spot has received early approval from the network. It appears as if the ad will not carry a strong pro-life message as was the concern of some at CBS. Almost all major networks, especially those airing significant or highly rated national events, have a policy against advocacy ads regardless of the slant.

Tags: Ben Roethlisberger, Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association, Brett Favre, combine, Davie-Brown Index, Draft, Eli Manning, Focus on the Family, NCAA Football 11, NFL, Senior Bowl, Super Bowl XLIV, Tim Tebow, Tom Brady

Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal reported Monday afternoon that former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow is close to a deal that would land him on the cover of EA Sports’ NCAA Football 11 video game.

Tebow, who recently hired Jimmy Sexton of Athletic Resource Management as his agent, would be the second Florida player to be featured on this game franchise’s cover. Heisman Trophy winning QB Danny Wuerffel was on the cover of NCAA Football 98, the first installment of the best-selling series.

Mullen spoke with EA Sports senior director of athlete relations Sandy Sandoval, who neither confirmed nor denied the report. Starting with NCAA Football 09, EA Sports began featuring different student-athletes on the game’s cover for each individual platform (PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox360, Wii, etc.) It is unknown if Tebow would grace the 2011 game’s cover on one or every format.

Tags: Athletic Resource Management, Danny Wuerffel, EA Sports, Heisman Trophy, Jimmy Sexton, NCAA Football 11, Tim Tebow