Muscle Sport Magazine

Tim Tebow Not Throwing at NFL Combine a Mistake

Tim Tebow does not want to become another footnote added to the list of Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks who have been NFL busts. Names such as Gino Torretta, Danny Wuerfell, Chris Weinke and Eric Crouch are frequently mentioned in that category and the former Florida Gator does not want to see it grow by one.

The southpaw won the Heisman as a sophomore in 2007 and has been one of the most successful signal callers in recent NCAA history but has always had to deal with the critics saying he is not cut out for the NFL. At 6’3″ and 240 pounds, he certainly has the size and he also has the potential to be the most effective rushing quarterback since Michael Vick in his prime.

A four-year starter at Florida, Tebow rushed for nearly 3,000 yards and 57 touchdowns. He also threw for 83 scores against 15 picks and close to 10,000 yards. Very impressive, to say the least, but he had a disappointing performance at the Senior Bowl, which is used as a barometer by many organizations preparing for the NFL Draft.

The prospects that decide to enter the NFL Scouting Combine have the opportunity to push themselves up the board by making a good showing in Indianapolis. When you have a quarterback with arm questions, he has the opportunity to quell much of the negative talk by showing good arm strength and accuracy in a very controlled enviornment, one that goes away awfully quick on Sundays. This would seem like the perfect scenario for a guy like Tebow.

But he has decided not to throw at the Combine.

“I’m not changing who I am or how I approach football, but there are things that I can get a lot better at – my fundamentals,” Tebow said to Adam Schefter, ESPN’s top football analyst. “I’ve never been asked to shorten or quicken my release and not have a loop in it. The changes I’m making have gone very well and it’s becoming more and more natural to me.”

Tebow further stated that he hopes to have his mechanics down by the start of minicamp, but just where they may be is the $100,00 question. Even though he is going to be participating in the other categories for quarterbacks, not showing what he can do with that arm will only hurt his chances of being a first round pick. Tebow wants to prove that he can be an every-down NFL quarterback, but that will be a huge question mark if scouts do not see him throw. Even if he is making adjustments on his motion, the team officials in the stands will want to see what he can do and take that factor into consideration.

With the ‘wildcat’ offense being in vogue these days, Tebow’s chances of sticking around are better with him being able to utilize his running ability. There will be teams who could take a chance on him and a strong rumor is that the Jacksonville Jaguars are one of them. For a team that cannot even sell out their home games, drafting a hometown hero like Tebow could give them a shot in the arm.

And his left arm may just keep him off that infamous list.

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