Urban Meyer on Tim Tebow: Media attention curbed NFL interest, opportunities

By Adam Silverstein
April 28, 2015

During a radio interview two years ago, Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer propped up Tim Tebow‘s future as an NFL quarterback, noting that he still thought Tebow would go out and “win a Super Bowl” before his time was up.

That was when Tebow was on the outs with the New York Jets. Since then, despite getting a training camp invitation with the New England Patriots that offseason, Tebow has not seen the field during an NFL regular season game.

On Tuesday, Meyer appeared on The Dan Patrick Show and was asked about the future of his Heisman Trophy winner with the Florida Gators. Suffice to say, Meyer still fully believes in Tebow’s chances to succeed in the NFL but explained that due to circumstances beyond his control, he has not had the same opportunities as others.


“I’m really excited for him. He deserves it, and I hope he makes it. He’s in a great place,” said Meyer.

“He’s a winner. He took a team that was a mess [the Denver Broncos] and put them in the playoffs and almost made the Super Bowl. And then the whole New York Jets thing was not good for all involved. And then he got a chance with the Patriots and that didn’t work out.”

That’s not to say Meyer is ignoring that everything around Tebow is not perfect. Meyer does believe, however, that the issues that do exist are not Tebow’s own fault.

“The problem with Tim – and this is the only problem – is he creates so much conversation and distraction that I think that spooked some teams,” said Meyer. “I think we’re far beyond it now that it’s not that big of a distraction anymore. He’s just a quarterback trying to make a team now.”

Meyer believes Tebow would have had many more chances – and had them much sooner – to make NFL rosters and contribute as a professional had the media not decided to swarm him and his respective franchise at every opportunity.

“I don’t think … I know, I’ve talked to many of the coaches involved: One thing every coach wants is lack of distraction so they can focus on their team. When all of a sudden ESPN just has live people watching practice and every time you wake up there’s Tim Tebow this, Teobw this, Tebow this and you’re talking about a backup quarterback, that did wear on people,” he explained.

“Once again, I think that’s over for the most part because you just don’t hear it as much. Now, hopefully, Tim can just learn to be an NFL quarterback.”

Tebow is getting his fourth opportunity in the league after being signed by the Philadelphia Eagles to a one-year, veterans’ minimum contract this offseason. He has already joined the team for workouts and will be trying to make the 53-man roster as a third-string quarterback.

Photo Credit: John Raoux/Associated Press

2 Comments

  1. Michael Jones says:

    The bitter irony is that the media is responsible for making him a distraction and then goes about reporting how he is such a distraction. Hopefully this time they’ll give Tim, his team, and his teammates some breathing room.

  2. Fatback says:

    That’s absurd. Passed on by owners trying to sell tickets because he brings too much publicity?

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