Tim Tebow learned of College Football Hall of Fame induction live on ESPN
Tim Tebow is a first-ballot College Football Hall of Famer. The legendary former Florida quarterback didn’t know about it, though, until his ESPN colleagues surprised him.
Tebow was previewing Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship with Dan Mullen, Jesse Palmer and Joe Tessitore when the 2023 class was revealed. ESPN had some fun with Tebow, announcing all the other players elected before Tessitore told Tebow that he, too, is in the 2023 class.
The 2023 @cfbhall class is stacked!
The moment @TimTebow found out he made it in his first year of eligibility was special ❤️ pic.twitter.com/hLveOM2bCT
— ESPN (@espn) January 9, 2023
Steve Hatchell, the President of the National Football Foundation, joined the ESPN crew on the SoFi Stadium field to present Tim Tebow with an inductee football. Tebow acknowledged the role of Mullen, his former position coach and play-caller at Florida, in getting him to the Hall of Fame. He also got emotional talking about his grandfather’s Florida fandom and the things he did not live to see.
Tebow threw for 9,285 yards and 88 touchdowns while also rushing for 2,947 yards and 55 touchdowns in his Florida career, which included the 2007 Heisman Trophy and national titles in 2006 and 2008. Tebow is the 10th player from Florida and 13th overall Gator to be elected into the sport’s Hall of Fame.
1️⃣5️⃣ is headed to the @cfbhall@NFFNetwork x @TimTebow pic.twitter.com/bmYQAkpCPk
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) January 9, 2023
Congratulations Tim Terrific! You richly deserve this honor.
Well deserved.
Very well deserved TT. Great as a player, infinitely better as a human. (Though you still never beat Auburn WDE)
No doubt golfman. Couldn’t beat you guys…
I came to talk $#!t, but I realized I respect Tim and Steve Spurrier, even if I hated them on the field. Congrats and well deserved. One of the greatest I’ve watched.
Respect, and congratulations on the Georgia win.
Double respect…and Georgia showed the country how elite they are last night. Incredible display on every level.
Well deserved!! Amazing college athlete and an even better human. Thanks, Tim, for all the joy your play on the field brought to Gator fans and more importantly, all the blessings you’ve given to others.
Timmy would have to be one of the four if there ever was a Mount Rushmore of college football players. Congrats to a well deserved player and even better human being.
Phenomenal comments about his grandad and college football’s ties to family, etc. Shows caliber Tim is.
As Jesse said, one of the greatest college players of all time, and no brainer 1st rounder and great dude. Well deserved.
I’ve always been troubled by the fact that even Heisman-winning quarterbacks are rarely the best all-around “football players” even on their own teams, let alone in the country.
In this regard, Tim Tebow is unique among Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks. He was not just a great college quarterback.
He was also a great football player.
Well said.
And from a great family – I had occasion several years ago to meet his Mom and chat with her for a while when she was in Belton for an event (I was the only Gator in that Texas crowd). I gave her a vintage Gator key chain from about 1960, and a week later I got a letter from her and Tim thanking me. Didn’t expect that, but it told me a lot.
So very well-deserved. It is rare to find a better person or leader for your football team. Congratulations Tim! Hopefully soon we will have that kind of fire, toughness and passion at the QB position.
Salute, Timmy!!