How good a quarterback is Tim Tebow really?

The Florida Gators football team has tended to live and die with their quarterback, even in the post Steve Spurrier era. Now after a national championship and a Heisman Tropy, here is my question. How good, really is Tim Tebow?

My question is specifically how good a quarterback, not a football player is Tim Tebow. As much as a Bulldog fan hates to admit this about a Florida Gator, Tebow will no doubt go down as one of the greatest college football players of all time. But now let’s focus on his position.

One thing that UF coach Urban Meyer says about Tebow is “He’s got the it.” And what he is talking about is that combination of cockiness/confidence that is so critical at the quarterback position. To successfully lead a football team and survive the defenses, the media, the fans, and everything else a quarterback has to have that it and he has to have a short memory. And Tebow has shown that he can lead a team. A critical skill for the quarterback position.

A quarterback is going to throw interceptions, he is going to fumble sometimes, he is going to make bad decisions. He can’t do too many of those things and make it, but if he can’t make those mistakes and completely forget about them the very next snap, he probably won’t make it either. And Tebow has shown that he is mentally tough, he comes back from mistakes with the short memory necessary for a quarterback.

Well, what about the ability to throw the football? And to do it at the next level, the NFL. Tebow definitely has arm strength, but can he find the receiver, can he use finesse when needed, and can he consistently make good decisions with 300 pound defenders in his ear? There are a lot of really good college quarterbacks that never make it in the NFL. Was it because they played in the right system? (Might apply here). Was it because they were surrounded by exceptional talent and coaches? (Might apply here) Lots of things can affect a quarterback’s success at the college level.

Now don’ forget that he’s thrown for over 6300 yards in college and he threw for over 9,000 yards and 95 touchdowns in three years as a high school starting quarterback at one of the top prep football programs in the state of Florida. And he holds the high school record for the most passing yards in a season in Florida as well. So he can throw the football. And evidently he is a very, very good college quarterback.

But again just how good of a quarterback is he? And can he make it in the NFL? And is that even fair to ask with all that he has accomplished in the NCAA ranks.

I believe it’s a fair question and I believe that we don’t know for sure. For me the test will be what he does or doesn’t do at the next level will answer the quarterback question. For me, to be a truly great quarterback, you have to be highly successful in the NFL. If you are great at the college level, it just isn’t enough in my opinion.

But the bad news for the rest of the SEC (and my DAWGS) is that he’s back for one more year for us to observe and keep talking about it before he finally leaves and tries to answer my question.