Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time national champion with the Florida Gators, has made his first appearance on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot.
The quarterback joins other first-timers such as Alex Smith, Ryan Leaf and eight others FBS players in receiving their first ballots, as announced Monday. In total, 80 players and nine coaches from the FBS are on the ballot.
Tebow was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy and went on to win two national titles with the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2008. During his four-year collegiate career at UF, he was a three-time Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year and set 28 school records.
Now, with the ballots officially announced, 12,000 National Football Foundation members and current Hall of Famers will have until June 30th to vote. After the process is complete, the votes will be then submitted to the NFF's Honors Court, which will then select the Hall of Fame class.
The Jacksonville native is already enshrined forever in the hearts and minds of Gators fans across the country. Whether it be moments like the “Paint Game” against Florida State in 2008, him outplaying Heisman winner Sam Bradford in the national championship to win Florida’s third program title, or even the “I Promise” speech after a close defeat in The Swamp against the Ole Miss Rebels, Tebow has etched his name in UF football lore.
Now, he gets his chance to do the same in the College Football Hall of Fame. The new inductees will be announced in early 2023.
Contact Brandon Hernandez at bhernandez.org. Follow him on Twitter @BranH2001.
Brandon Hernandez is currently the enterprise sports writer and sports podcast host for The Independent Alligator. He likes long walks on the sidewalk and watching basketball tape in his off time. You can find most of his work @BranH2001 on X and on The Courtside Podcast on Spotify.
