Apparently Tim Tebow's cell phone number surfaced and spread throughout Baton Rouge, La., last week.
Tebow received countless threatening messages on his phone from LSU fans leading up to the Gators? loss to the top-ranked Tigers on Saturday.
BSome people did take it way too far, farther than you should take it with sports,C Tebow said following Tuesday?s practice, the first workout for No. 13 UF (4-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) since the loss.
The sophomore quarterback had to listen to his messages one by one to delete them all as they started piling up early last week.
He declined to discuss the specifics of the messages, but said some included physical threats.
BI don?t really use that kind of language too much,C Tebow said.
Tebow responded by mocking the LSU fans after UF?s first touchdown, a 2-yard pass to Kestahn Moore.
He dialed an imaginary cell phone and held his hand to his helmet in celebration.
BThey were just having fun with me, so I was having fun with them, too,C said Tebow, who completed 12 of 26 passes for 158 yards and ran for 67 yards on 16 carries against LSU. BIt?s what college is all about. It?s just fun, and I had fun with it. And I know I probably got under their skin a little bit.C
LSU students weren?t the only people to obtain Tebow?s number.
The quarterback?s number was displayed on fraternity row of Tennessee?s campus, according to a writer from Tennessee?s student newspaper.
Tebow has since gotten a new phone number, and the old phone was handed over to the University Police Department.
BI just worry about a young player?s safety,C UF coach Urban Meyer said. BIt?s easy, just get rid of your phone. I told Tim just dump it and get another one.C
After the mocking celebration, LSU fans directed an obscene chant toward Tebow as Joey Ijjas kicked an extra point.
BI think for the most part people were just having fun,C Tebow said. BBut unfortunately there?s (other) people like that everywhere.C
Tebow shared the messages with his roommate, senior strong safety Tony Joiner.
BThat was kind of crazy,C Joiner said.
The calls came in so frequently that Tebow would accidentally connect to a caller when he opened his phone for other purposes.
Tebow quickly hung up when he realized what was going on.
BJust an interesting experience handling it all,C Tebow said, Bbut it wasn?t too much.C
A similar situation occurred in Gainesville, where Stan Forron, the towing company spokesman engulfed by the Joiner incident last week, received hundreds of threatening phone calls.
Gators fans called in bomb and death threats, but they stopped Friday as the game approached.
Forron, like Tebow, does not see a place for phone threats in college football.
BIt?s only a game,C said Forron, who added that the Gainesville Police Department has not spoken to him once since the Joiner incident on Oct. 2. BIt?s not life and death. … I understand passion for football, but to threaten people?C
HEISMAN WATCH: Tebow?s Heisman Trophy hopes didn?t take much of a hit from Saturday?s loss.
SI.com?s Gene Menez has Tebow at No. 1 on his list while ESPN.com ranked Tebow No. 4, behind Darren McFadden, Matt Ryan and DeSean Jackson.
