x
Breaking News
More () »

Tebow recalls magical 2011 season

HOUSTON—It's true, the NFL did not go as Tim Tebow and his enormous, cross-cultural fan base would have hoped.

<p>FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 14: Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos looks to pass against the New England Patriots during their AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium on January 14, 2012 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)</p>

HOUSTON—It’s true, the NFL did not go as Tim Tebow and his enormous, cross-cultural fan base would have hoped.

Anyone who witnessed Tebowmania in 2011, though, knows his NFL career was far from a failure.

Tebow was remarkably athletic. He had an incredible Will to Win (cough! cough!).

He may have been challenged as a passer but he became uncannily accurate in the clutch. Tebow with a little help from long-distance kicker Matt Prater and a transformed defense lifted the Denver Broncos to five wins in which they were trailing in the fourth quarter. There were six wins in a row, plus an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first pass of overtime to defeat the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers in a home playoff game.

It was arguably the most magical, inexplicable run the NFL has ever witnessed, never mind the Broncos. He was not only a phenomenon, he literally started a national movement: Tebowing.

he highlight of that 2011 season?

“I think it was just the memories of all my teammates, all those guys were so awesome,’’ Tebow said here Friday in his annual Super Bowl appearance on Radio Row. “The whole group rallying and believing in each other. No matter what the score was or with one second to go there was to go we believed we were going to get it done and that was special.’’

Thought sure Tebow would have said that perfectly thrown slant pass to Demaryius Thomas against a blitzing Steelers’ defense on the first play of playoff overtime that shook Sports Authority Field at Mile High from its bearings.

“That was fun, too,’’ Tebow said in that sweet innocent laugh of his.

After that season, Broncos general manager John Elway determined Tebow’s style of heavy-run, inconsistent-pass couldn’t succeed over the long haul. As the legion of Tebow fans said at the time: What does Elway know?

Elway signed the great Peyton Manning as a free agent and Tebow’s trade to the New York Jets was a career-killer.

Tebow is now trying to make it in professional baseball. The lefty hitter batted .194 in the Arizona Fall League while representing the New York Mets, but he showed some power and he did hit .281 in his last 11 games.

“It’s going well,’’ said Tebow, who has been playing outfield. “Spring training starts in a couple weeks. I’m super excited, can’t wait for it to happen. I’ve been working really hard.’’

Tebow, 29 (is he really 29 already?) is in the discussion for greatest college football player of all-time as he won one Heisman Trophy and nearly a second while helping the Florida Gators win two national titles. He was a first-round draft pick of Broncos’ coach and football operations boss Josh McDaniels in 2010, but the exhilarating Tebow Time didn't occur until Elway was a first-year GM and John Fox was the coach in 2011.

Tebow led the Broncos to the first of five consecutive AFC West title. Manning handled the next four.

“It was very special,’’ Tebow said. “Obviously, still love all the Broncos fans and all the support and all the people back in Denver. It was amazing, Colorado. Love all those guys.’’

Still Tebow after all these years.

Before You Leave, Check This Out