Tim Tebow‘s connection with his former Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer wasn’t enough to revive his NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars this year, but his legendary status on the NCAA gridiron has netted him a great sports media opportunity.
ESPN announced on Thursday that Tebow would be joining its popular debate show "First Take" as a college football analyst alongside Stephen A. Smith every Friday.
"First Take" is revamping its show model in the wake of Max Kellerman’s departure. Typically, Smith and Kellerman would be opposite each other debating on the trending topics of the day. The new aim from ESPN is to get a rotating roster of experts on specific sports to chime in.
The show’s senior coordinating producer, Antoine Lewis, said the following about the different direction "First Take" is taking: “This new format will pair Smith with new voices and perspectives every day of the week who will challenge him on their specific area of expertise in a completely new way.”
Another example of this is Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame wide receiver and NFL Media personality Michael Irvin signing on for weekly Monday appearances on "First Take," where he’ll debate with Smith about what just happened in the aftermath of NFL Sundays.
Tebow failed in his attempt to return to the NFL as a player this offseason in Jacksonville, unsuccessfully converting from quarterback to tight end. He didn’t pan out as a first-round QB in the first place after the Denver Broncos selected him 25th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Prior to his comeback effort in pro football, Tebow even fell short in his bid to become a pro baseball player in the New York Mets organization.
What can’t be called into question, though, is Tebow’s credibility when it comes to the college game. He was a two-time national champion at Florida, won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and was a finalist for the award the next two years thereafter.
This also isn’t Tebow’s first rodeo covering college football as a media personality. Since 2013, he’s worked on and off at ESPN’s affiliate SEC Network as an NCAA gridiron analyst, so he should bring valuable insight from his playing experience in addition to extensive knowledge of the college game to the "First Take" set.
More must-reads: