Schiefelbein: UF’s Tebow almost wore crimson

• By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Dec 4, 2008 - Page: 1C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Could you imagine Tim Tebow wearing a crimson helmet with a white No. 15?

Tebow once did.

The day before the national signing period began, before Tebow made his choice on national TV — and years before the Florida schoolboy legend became a University of Florida legend — then-Alabama coach Mike Shula spent the day with Tebow.

“It really was a tough decision. … I loved Alabama, the passion they had for football, the passion the fans had and just everything,” Tebow said.

Florida coach Urban Meyer, recently hired at the time, was getting prepared in case he didn’t land Tebow, who led Nease High School to a Florida state title, lived in Jacksonville, Fla., and is the youngest of the five children of two UF grads.

“He had his mind set for a while there to go to Alabama,” Meyer said. “I thought our guys did a good job in trying to pull that one back, because he’s a Florida guy.

“But I was very concerned.”

The magnetic pull of being a Florida guy won out.

As the story goes, even in the half hour before Tebow made his decision on ESPN, he was still undecided.

Tebow being Tebow, an all-world humanitarian, you can imagine how hard it was for him to get on the phone and say no to someone he genuinely liked and still does (because Shula and Tebow talk from time to time).

“I was up in the air,” Tebow said. “I grew up being a huge Gator fan, loved Florida and loved everything about Florida. … I really tried to look with an open mind at all the schools, and I really liked Alabama. … I thought it was a great fit. … But then at the end, I really just thought Florida was the best fit for me, playing for coach Meyer and staying closer to home.”

Here are how things have played out, for the record:

• Tebow, as a backup, helped Florida, to the 2006 national title and, as a record-smashing starter, won the Heisman Trophy last season.
• Shula was fired after the 2006 season, with Nick Saban lured away from the Miami Dolphins and since leading Bama to a No. 1 ranking this season. Shula is in his second year as the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterbacks coach.
• And Jevan Snead, who originally went to Texas but was being looked at by Meyer and staff in case Tebow didn’t come to UF, has led an Ole Miss resurgence, that includes a win at Florida earlier this season.

Saturday, No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Florida will meet in the Southeastern Conference title game in Atlanta. The winner is expected to play in the national championship game.

In the Georgia Dome stands will be so many of the Bama fans who once dreamed of having Tebow in a Crimson Tide uniform, thinking he could be the key to turning their program’s fortunes around. Beside them will be the UF fans who have fallen in love with Tebow and seen what he can do, on and off a football field.