He smiled throughout the 20 minutes he stood in front of his locker at the New York Jets’ practice facility, and predictably said all the right things. Potential quarterback controversy or not, Tebow appears unfazed.

”This is kind of the first time I’ve had to talk to y’all, so it’s really not exhausting at all,” Tebow said Thursday with a big grin. ”I think it’s more if you let it become exhausting. I really don’t. I just have fun and live my life and am thankful I don’t have to worry about it too much.”

From the moment Tebow was acquired from the Denver Broncos in March, there has been speculation about what that meant for Mark Sanchez’s job security.

Will Sanchez fold under the pressure?

What game will Tebow take over as the starter?

Can the two players even co-exist on a team that is still trying to recover from locker room in-fighting that helped derail last season?

”I think it’ll be great,” Tebow said of he and Sanchez playing together. ”We have a great relationship, we’re friends. We hang in the locker room and also outside the complex, so I think it’ll be great.”

Tebow is big news, no matter the topic, such as when he was asked about his dog Bronco, whom he said he was thinking of renaming Bronx to be more geographically appropriate. Well, that ”news” became a trending topic on Twitter within minutes.

Meanwhile, Sanchez faced the same throng of media – about 25 feet away – just a few minutes earlier and also tried to assure everyone that everything between him and Tebow is fine and that he has never felt his job is in jeopardy.

”I think it’s been nothing but positive to this point and that’s the way I anticipate it in the future,” Sanchez said. ”It’s been fun.”

Coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Tony Sparano have said Tebow will have extensive playing time for the Jets in various roles, including running the team’s wildcat-style package. As for now, though, Tebow is trying to catch on to a new offense and has taken snaps in workouts only as a quarterback.

”It’s all on the offense,” Tebow said. ”I’m just trying to learn that. I’m sure that’ll take a little while putting in an entire offense, learning third downs and everything we want to put in. That’s our main focus right now, and not necessarily special situations or anything like that. Just trying to learn the offense.”

That means he hasn’t been studying any other position – fullback, H-back or tight end – and adds that ”they haven’t told me anything” as far as whether he would play on special teams. The Jets will likely start installing those plans later in the offseason program, and Tebow insists he’s game for anything.

”You know, I always put the team first and whatever they want me to do, they know that I’ll do with all my heart,” he said. ”So, I’m just trying to go out there every day and get a little bit better.”

Everyone from Ryan to owner Woody Johnson has made it clear that Sanchez is the starter and Tebow is his backup. Both quarterbacks understand their roles, and their teammates don’t think the situation has potential for creating friction or impairing Sanchez’s ability to lead.

”If the two didn’t get along so well, that could be the case,” tight end Dustin Keller said. ”They get along really well, have a good working relationship. Tim’s just a great guy and you can’t be mad at the guy. They brought him in and he has been working hard, and that’s all you can ask for.”

Keller has seen the two talk constantly around the facility, and even play jokes on each other.

”You don’t do that to your enemies or guys you dislike,” he said. ”Things are smooth and they’re going to continue to be.”

Both Tebow and Sanchez spoke about how they push each other in the classroom and on the field, trying to make each other better while fans and media speculate about whether this could all really work.

”I think we’ll just have a good friendship and really not let outside circumstances get in the way of our friendship or how we handle each other,” Tebow said. ”I think that’s the cool thing about being friends: We can talk and we have an open relationship.”

The two young quarterbacks are driven to succeed, and they have each had terrific success in the NFL and in college.

Tebow was a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Florida, and helped the Gators win two national championships before being drafted in the first round by Denver in 2010. He took over the starting job with the Broncos last season, and helped lead them to the playoffs – and a first-round victory over Pittsburgh – with an impressive string of comeback victories.

Sanchez led Southern California to a Rose Bowl win over Penn State in 2009 and was taken fifth overall in the draft by the Jets a few months later. He has been the starter since, winning four playoff games on the road and helping New York to consecutive AFC title games in his first two seasons.

They both have their flaws – Tebow’s mechanics and Sanchez’s inconsistency – but are fierce competitors who have won at this level as starters.

”I hope every backup quarterback wants the job of the starter,” Sanchez said. ”That’s the way you have to prepare. I’ve been in those shoes in college: anticipating the game, studying like I’m the starter and then getting to the game and not playing. Fortunately for Tim, he has the ability to do other things. That’s why he’s on board. He’s a backup quarterback first and then he’ll do plenty of other stuff.”

Tebow repeatedly brushed aside questions about his role and whether he wants to overtake Sanchez, saying he just wants to keep improving and help the Jets however he can.

”I think it’s fair to say that I always want to be my best, as good as I can possibly be and push myself to the limits,” he said. ”Just as far as being a quarterback or passer, it’s learning defenses and learning offenses, I’m just trying to be the best football player and person I can possibly be. That’s what I’m not going to settle for, anything less.”

Sanchez had just finished talking when he was asked if he has grown tired of the Tebow-related questions.

”No, not yet,” he said. ”It’s only May.”

He was reminded that he’s going to keep getting them for the next several months, and he smiled.

”Yeah,” Sanchez said. ”It’s part of the job.”

Source: FOX Sports

Antonio Cromartie may not have thought much of Tim Tebow initially, but his teammate Darrelle Revis certainly does. Revis talked about Tebow on Wednesday, and had nothing but extreme praise for the team’s new backup quarterback.

“He’s a born leader,” Revis said of Tebow. “He really is. Very few athletes have the gift that he has. He tries to lead by example all the time and he tries to be positive, which is awesome. I think that results (in) his success on the field. He came in with Denver and did unbelievable. And now he’s with us. We’re happy. We’re excited for him. We’re happy (that) he’ll bring his leadership qualities to this team.”

Revis augmented that statement by saying Tebow as the “it” factor.

“Some people have it. Some guys don’t,” Revis said. “It’s the passion within … of him wanting to be a leader, wanting to win. You see it in him all the time … eating lunch. Walking down the hallway you see it. He’s just one of those guys. He’s very positive. He has passion for what he does and you could see it. You can see it on him when you have a conversation with him. He’s just a leader.”

Wait, wait, wait a second. Are you telling me that Tim Tebow eats his lunch like a leader? What does that mean? He shows his peas and carrots who’s boss? He cuts his steaks with authority? His bites are super deliberate?

Seriously though, it’s no surprise to hear the praise from Revis. Tebow has been considered a leader everywhere he’s been, and he’s generally well liked by his teammates.

Source: Larry Brown Sports

Gallery Links
• Events > 2012 > May 9 | Good Morning America
• New York Jets > Press Conferences > May 9, 2012

Tim Tebow is about to join the Kardashians and Chelsea Handler as a star on E!

SI.com has learned that the Jets quarterback will be the subject of a 30-minute special airing on E! Entertainment Television sometime in July. A league source says the show is being done without Tebow’s participation.

E!’s cameras were part of the throng of more than 200 media members who covered Tebow’s introductory news conference on March 26 inside a field house at the Jets practice facility in Florham Park, NJ. The network isn’t known for its sports programming, but it does have Mavericks forward Lamar Odom (the Lamar of “Khloe & Lamar”) on the payroll.

“We have a Tim Tebow special in the works that is tentatively scheduled to premiere in July,” said an E! spokesperson. “Tebow is a pop culture phenomenon and the interest in his life expands beyond the world of sports. He’s a compelling personality and has a fascinating story.”

Tebow was previously the subject of the sports documentary, Tim Tebow: Everything in Between, which followed Tebow after he finished his final season at Florida. The film, which was sanctioned by the Tebow family, concludes on the night of Tebow’s selection by the Denver Broncos.

Source: Sports Illustrated

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets are emphasizing a desire to unite behind two quarterbacks following their recent acquisition of Tim Tebow as Mark Sanchez’s backup.

“I play for the New York Jets, and I catch passes from two quarterbacks,” WR Santonio Holmes said Thursday during a break from the team’s offseason conditioning.

Players admitted they were a team in disarray when they slumped to 8-8 last season after reaching the AFC Championship Game each of the previous two years. They appear to be determined to prevent that from happening again, even as a potential quarterback controversy looms.

Sanchez downplayed the arrival of Tebow, who is expected to largely operate out of the Wildcat formation when new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano believes that is needed.

“You’re always going to have other quarterbacks in the room,” Sanchez said. “Your job is to push each other.”

The Jets’ starter of the past three seasons added: “Fortunately for Tim, he has the ability to do other things, and that’s why he’s on board.”

Head coach Rex Ryan has repeatedly endorsed Sanchez as his No. 1 quarterback even though he failed to play up to expectations last season amid issues with his supporting cast. Although Tebow led Florida to two national championships as one of the most heralded college players in history, he seems more comfortable as an option-style runner than as a pocket passer.

Tebow chose his words carefully, dodging a direct question about whether he aspires to be the starter as if it was a would-be tackler. “I see it as every day trying to get better,” he said.

Sanchez said there has not yet been any discussion about how many snaps either of them could expect once the regular season arrives. Tebow noted that the Jets have not used him at a position other than quarterback.

“I always put the team first,” he said. “Whatever they want me to do.”

The selflessness of the former Heisman Trophy winner — coupled with his work ethic — sits well with his new teammates.

“He’s doing great. He’s everything as advertised, positive and competitive,” Sanchez said. “He’s been great to work with.”

Holmes became a flashpoint for controversy last season when he used his role as a team captain to criticize the offensive line. He was benched by previous offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer at the end of the regular-season finale in Miami when he appeared to become disinterested.

Holmes is welcoming Tebow — and a fresh start.

“He’s a true leader. He brings that competitive edge,” Holmes said. “You have to be around it to see it.”

Holmes went on to predict, “It’s going to be fun, man. It’s going to be competitive. I know they (Sanchez and Tebow) are going to push each other to the limit.”

TE Dustin Keller acknowledged he was among the skeptics after New York obtained Tebow in a trade following the Denver Broncos’ signing of four-time MVP QB Peyton Manning.

“I didn’t know about it at first,” said Keller. “But now that we’ve been working together, it’s been very positive. I think it’s going to be good for us.”

Source: USA Today

The NFL season is still four months away and it’s important to keep a little perspective when the focus is the Jets and their quarterback picture. Mark Sanchez is the starter, Tim Tebow is the backup/package performer and they’re both in the midst of learning a brand new offense under coordinator Tony Sparano.

“These first three weeks or so have been exactly what we’ve needed,” Sanchez said today of the offseason program. “Guys just put their heads down and go to work, a real team atmosphere. Coach Sparano preaches that — lifting other guys up, pushing each other and really competing — and that’s what our team has done on offense.”

Referring to Sanchez as a fun-loving guy, Tebow says the two have maintained a good relationship ever since the latter visited USC on a recruiting trip.

“It’s been great,” said Tebow, the former Heisman Trophy winner. “Just working together, pushing each other, learning from each other, spending extra time in the film room, talking about college days, talking about different teams that we’ve faced and just going over things together. We’re learning the same offense — something we haven’t been in before, so we’re just trying to learn it together. It’s been fun.”

Throughout the locker room, many players praised the no-nonsense approach of Sparano, and the top two quarterbacks were amongst the bunch.

“He expects a lot of you, but he’s fair and he’ll remind you each day of what we’re going over just like a game plan,” Sanchez said. “He’ll let you know, ‘We’re going to work on a specific situation — here’s what I expect.’ And if it doesn’t happen, then that’s when you hear the Coach Sparano that everybody talks about.”

“I was blessed to be with him for a week at the Senior Bowl,” added Tebow. “That was awesome. He’s very positive about coaching. He’s a very intense, passionate coach.”

Sanchez and Tebow will want to see the field as much as possible in 2012 and that should not be viewed as problematic in May. Competition breeds winners and nobody ever got better from the lack of it.

“I hope every backup quarterback wants the job of the starter,” Sanchez said. “That’s the way you have to prepare. I’ve been in those shoes in college, anticipating the game, studying like I’m the starter and then getting to the game and not playing. Fortunately for Tim he has the ability to do other things — that’s why he’s on board. He’s a backup quarterback first and he’ll do plenty of other stuff.”

Tebow isn’t much into labels. You don’t have to listen to him long to know that he wants to continually improve and he is excited about the work that lies ahead.

“I always want to be my best, as good as I can possibly be,” Tebow said in front of a crush of reporters in front of his Atlantic Health Jets Training Center locker. “Push myself to the limits just as far as a quarterback, a passer, learning defenses, learning offenses, just trying to be the best football player and person that I possibly can be. That’s what I’m not going to settle for anything less than.”

Sanchez, who led the Jets to AFC Championship Game appearances his first two seasons and passed for 3,542 yards and 26 TDs in 2011, doesn’t plan on changing his approach just because his backup has changed.

“I’m the kind of guy who competes against myself at all times,” he said. “Whether Tim’s here or there’s another backup quarterback, I’m always competing with myself first and then whoever else is in the room. It doesn’t matter either way, but he’s been great to work with and I’m excited to keep working with him.”

Head coach Rex Ryan has said Tebow could play anywhere from two to 20 offensive plays a game and his positional role could vary. Many media reports have indicated No. 15 will see a fair amount of time on special teams as well.

“I always put team first and whatever they want me to do, they know that I’ll do it with all my heart,” Tebow said. “I’m just going out there every day, trying to get a little bit better.”

Along with learning the new offense, Sanchez is pushing himself in the weightroom in the hopes of adding strength and increasing bulk while maintaining his speed and agility.

“I think everybody’s moved on,” Sanchez said in reference to 2011. “We’re ready to attack this new year and get off to a good start.”

The 8-8 season is January’s news. Spring football is here and it’s time to start building a foundation for 2012.

“We’re worried about today,” said Tebow. “We’re trying to get better today, be a great teammate and try to improve a little bit.”

Source: New York Jets.com

In an interview with “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts that aired on the show today, Tebow and his mother, Pam Tebow, shared some fond Mother’s Day memories.

He recalled one year as a child when he couldn’t afford to get his mother a present for Mother’s Day. On the night before that particular Mother’s Day, he went outside into his mother’s flower garden and, using a flashlight for illumination, started uprooting weeds.

“I went out and worked most of the night. … And picked all the weeds. And made it look nice,” he said.

His mother said, “It was raining, too. It was the sweetest thing.”

Given his inability to buy a present, Tebow said, “I figured it was the least I could do.”

He was able to do much better when he got his first payout as a member of the Denver Broncos.

“I was just so excited to go get my family gifts. But the first gift I got was for mom. … I went to Tiffany’s. I was so excited. And so I went in to go find something that I think would be right for mom,” he said, describing the necklace he bought, which had a pendant in the shape of a key. “I gave it to her, because, you know, she was the key to my success. And, you know, I couldn’t have done it without her.”

His mother said she wears the necklace often.

Mom Is an Inspiration, and a Great Cook
Tebow, 24, is the youngest of his parents’ five children.

His mother calls him “Timmy,” and he says she and his father have been inspirations, each in their own unique ways. His father inspired him through his passion and courage, and his mother’s kindness and sweetness uplifted those around her.

“I could just see her — not because that was something she told us. It was because that was something me and my siblings, we could watch every day,” he told Roberts.

In addition to setting an fine example for her children, Pam Tebow also made them happy with her cooking.

During the “GMA” interview with the Tebows, Pam Tebow, along with Catherine Cassidy of Taste of Home magazine, whipped up two of her youngest son’s favorite dishes: a “pizza pie” and an ice cream pie with a Rice Krispies crust.

Although Tebow has never made it himself, he said the pizza pie was great for serving to visiting friends, adding that it represented the kind of food he prefers.

Although he is invited to many incredibly lavish affairs, Tebow said, “I just like normal food. I mean, you have to go to so many, like, rubber chicken dinners and you put on the face and you’re like, ‘Oh, thank you, it’s so good,’ and you’re like, ‘Man, I just can’t wait to go home … and have pizza pie,’” he said.

The ice cream pie is another Tim Tebow favorite.

“He personally likes ice cream,” his mother said. “In our family, we didn’t eat a lot of dessert but our rule was on Sunday you can have ice cream. You can have all you want.”

Her son said, recalling those days, “I don’t know how many undershirts got stained. When we got home from church, you know, we’d take off our shirt and we’d have our undershirt and we’d … be watching football and I mean you’d have like chocolate sauce all down it. Me and my brothers and my dad.”

Source: ABC News

The Met Gala brings together a wide array of the world’s celebrities every year and this year was no exception, as professional football player Tim Tebow crossed paths with movie star Daniel Radcliffe, who explained to ET why he admires Tebow.

“I like the fact that he gets tackled to the ground and gets up and goes, ‘Hey, great play, man!’ Radcliffe said. “To me, that that’s the kind of English sportsmanship that I can relate to so I kind of enjoy that.”

Tebow, who was there with his New York Jets teammate Bart Scott, revealed that he had been invited to the event by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. In his usually humble manner, he expressed his gratitude to be able to attend the prestigious event.

Source: ET Online

“It’s tough to stop 11-on-11 football like that,” Rex said. “Tebow made the play, so you have to give him credit.” He looked back up, stared off into the distance and sighed.

“We thought that play was coming,” he added, “but we never got it defended, and that’s what happens when you’ve got a good athlete—a big, strong guy like that—kind of like we had with Brad Smith.”

And with that last statement, he puckered his lips and again looked down at the podium. As if it wasn’t bad enough that they had lost their jack-of-all-trades weapon that offseason in free agency, they had just lost to a quarterback who reminded Rex that you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, comes back and makes you pay.

But in the world of constant upgrades and new editions, consider Tim Tebow a version 2.0 of Brad Smith.

Up to this point, it’s been unclear as to what Tebow’s role will be. If you ask Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano, you won’t get much of an answer, but special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff obliged Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

…Westhoff told the Daily News he will use Tebow on his unit. Westhoff has already discussed his vision with Tebow, who was amenable and eager to contribute on special teams, according to the coach.

Although Westhoff didn’t reveal his exact plan, he called Tebow a “more potent Brad Smith” with an ability to make a difference on special teams.

We’ve been hearing speculation about the impact Tebow could have on special teams for some time, but up to this point in his career, he’s had no impact on special teams—he’s never played there.

That being said, it was Westhoff’s creativity on special teams that helped the team maximize Smith’s talents. He had never returned kicks before 2007.

Tebow’s lack of experience won’t stop the Jets from trying, and it’s not hard to see why. He may not have experience, and he may not be taking kicks to the house anytime soon (or ever), but his work ethic, attitude, intensity and never-say-never mentality will be great tools as he learns his new responsibilities.

And he’s certainly physically capable of carrying them out.

“People get tired of me saying it,” Rex said to the News, “but how do you not describe this guy as a football player? That’s what he is. He’s got size. He’s got strength. He’s got speed. And he can throw the football.”

That last sentence may be the most important aspect of Tebow’s game. No, Tebow may not reel off big touchdown runs like Smith did, but Smith never threw a bomb like Tebow can.
While Rex Ryan has effectively diffused almost all speculation of a quarterback controversy now or in the future, the fact remains that when Tebow is in the shotgun running the option, defenses must be prepared to defend the run and the pass.

In that sense, Tebow adds to the passing game, which Brad Smith rarely ever did, reeling in just two touchdown passes in his career. When Smith lined up in the shotgun, though, teams were rarely ever preparing for a pass. It bears mentioning, also, that Smith wasn’t a dynamic passer in college, either.

Say what you will about Tebow’s accuracy, but he can throw the football. And while newspapers are busy writing about his impact on special teams, and while teams are busy preparing for it, the Jets are loading their weapon and taking aim.

Source: Bleacher Report

OXBOROUGH, Mass. — Count new Patriots tight end Daniel Fells amongst the believers in Jets quarterback Tim Tebow.

When asked on Tuesday whether or not he thinks Tebow – arguably the most polarizing player in all of football – can be an NFL quarterback, Fells expressed a vote of confidence. But he also stressed patience.

“I think he can be. Give him a little bit of time,” said Fells, who was a member of the Broncos with Tebow in 2011.

The popularity, intrigue and aura surrounding Tebow has been dubbed “Tebowmania,” something that Fells also described as a “circus.” Fells proclaimed that there was a downside involved with said circus.

“The media frenzy, all day, every day. That can be somewhat of a distraction at times,” he said.

But Fells credited Tebow for his handling of the situation.

“He’s the type of person who just takes everything in stride, and he’s a truly genuine person, so he just kind of, almost brushed it off a little bit,” he said. “He didn’t let all the hype and everything get to his head.”

Source: ESPN