On Sunday, Hawaii coach June Jones called UF star Tim Tebow a "system quarterback" while comparing Tebow to the Warriors' Colt Brennan. After having a night to sleep on his comments, here's what Jones had to say at a press conference on Monday:
"I did some national shows today. I may get some more (heat) from that. My intent on what I said was not to demean Tim Tebow in anyway. I said this on ESPN today - the media picks the Heisman Trophy winner. No longer will it go to a guy like it did years ago on a 3-8 team. It just doesn't happen.
"My point was that my quarterback has been labeled a `system quarterback' for three years. He is the best passer in college history. He is. There is no question about it. Tim Tebow is in a system. The last quarterback who was in that system, if you had asked me about Alex Smith, he was a system quarterback, I thought, when we were watching him. Talented, but I didn't see him in an NFL passing (system).
"Colt Brennan plays in an NFL passing game. You can dial it up and see that it is not a system. Tim Tebow's system is a college system. He is a great quarterback who'll probably win a national championship. He's competitive; he's all those things. But a lot of his stuff comes off little dives, fades, things he is not going to do in the National Football League. That's my point.
"I think Jake Locker (from Washington) is a great athlete. I'd love to be a part of coaching a kid like that. But I said what I said and I mean it. I said this too on national radio today and probably take some heat from it. (his phone rings) Look, here is an 847 area code right now. On ESPN GameDay, they are promoting Tim Tebow to win the Heisman, which he'll probably win. My quarterback is the best player, trust me. But they (ESPN GameDay) said, and we watch at the hotel and listened to it for the last six weeks, they said as they were going off the air 'Tim Tebow has accounted for 53 touchdowns in one season, the most in college football history.' I said you guys just told a lie. Last year, my quarterback threw for 58 touchdowns and ran for another (five). I got my point across.
"You guys ripped me a new one yesterday, and I'm going to say it again and stand by what I said, my quarterback is the best college football player in America. I did not add Tebow's team has three loses or is not in a BCS game. I wish I had that info, why didn't you call me? The bottom line is I irritated them because they knew I was right.
"But I did get a whole bunch of emails and calls from Florida State people that said 'Thanks for finally saying that.'"
