Gabrielle Gibbs’ dream of marrying UF football legend Tim Tebow was crushed.
“When I saw he was engaged, I was a little sad because I knew my chances with him were officially over,” the 18-year-old UF exploratory freshman said.
On Thursday, thousands of hearts broke as the 31-year-old Heisman trophy winner announced his engagement to 23-year-old 2017 Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, on Instagram, according to the Associated Press.
Tebow, who led the Florida Gators to a 24-14 win over Oklahoma in the 2008 National Championship Game, went on to play for the Denver Broncos and later the New York Jets in the NFL for three seasons. Tebow’s accomplishments at UF landed him a spot in the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and UF’s Ring of Honor in 2018.
“Thank you for saying YES and making me the happiest man in the world,” Tebow wrote in the post. “You’re the love of my life, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Kevin Bode, a 21-year-old UF psychology junior, wondered how the proposal will impact Tebow professionally.
“I think it’s great Tebow is engaged, even though I’m wondering what it’s going to do to his sports career and time spent on it,” Bode said.
Mariah Edwards, a 21-year-old UF psychology sophomore, has always been a fan of Tebow’s charity work such as the Tim Tebow Foundation, which raises money for sick children, alongside his sports career.
“He’s been a good person, and I think it’s great that he’s going to be happy,” Edwards said.
Contact Josephine Fuller at jfuller@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @JomarieUF.
