Colleges

A need to say 'no'

By Antonya English
Published December 25, 2007

GAINESVILLE - If you have been anywhere near the Florida football practice facility in the past couple of weeks - or the entire season, for that matter - then news that athletic officials have asked quarterback Tim Tebow to stop signing autographs shouldn't have come as a surprise.

On the surface, it might seem ridiculous. And if my e-mail is any indication, some fans are angry. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner is the face of Florida football right now, and he had been the most accessible player on the team.

But the reality is that many of the people waiting on Tebow weren't trying to get his signature just because they are Gator fans who love their quarterback. On Monday morning, 170 autographed Tebow items were listed on eBay. Last week, the amount was close to 400.

More important from Florida's perspective, the situation was getting out of control. Fans started gathering near the practice field shortly after practice began and sometimes before. They brought babies wearing jerseys for Tebow to sign, footballs, helmets, you name it. Some brought multiple items.

And Tebow signed them all, sometimes lingering long after everyone else had left, posing for photos, trying to fulfill those requests. And that was just at practice. Apparently things are worse when he's out around town.

Florida athletic officials said in a statement that the situation had begun to compromise "his ability to handle his rigorous schedule as a successful student-athlete (he has a 3.7 grade-point average)."

Forget his rigorous schedule. It compromised his ability to get from the practice field to the locker room across the street. After his first practice back as the Heisman winner, Tebow was whisked away on a golf cart from the back side of the practice field, but coach Urban Meyer put a halt to that. He's trying to keep things as normal as possible, which includes having Tebow walk with the rest of the team.

Even some of Tebow's teammates had begun to express concern.

"It's hard for him because the guy just can't say no," roommate and safety Tony Joiner said.

Tebow has repeatedly said he models himself after former Heisman Trophy winner and UF quarterback Danny Wuerffel, who was known for his accessibility to fans. But Wuerffel said in retrospect that he probably should have said no a little more. And so should Tebow.

"I really admire that (accessibility) about him, but one of the things I've been telling him is that looking back, there's a time and place to take care of yourself, too," Wuerffel said. "The pressure of fans can be so overwhelming, you do have to sometimes figure out how to have some space. And 'no' doesn't always have to be a bad word when everybody is asking. It's a long haul. It kind of hit me as I got older. He's a young guy, but he's got the pressure of the world on his shoulders. ... I hope people realize the pressure that's on him and do their best to give him some space."

CHECKING HIS LIST: If associate head coach Doc Holliday is offered the job at West Virginia, or any other Florida assistant lands a new job, Meyer is prepared to immediately begin a search for a replacement. He keeps a list of potential assistant coaches handy just in case.

"A big part of it is recruiting and who I think recruits the South, and I've seen him working and grinding," Meyer said. "That's actually how I put my staff together. Steve Addazio is one of the hardest recruiting guys I've ever been around, same with Greg Mattison, same with (Charlie) Strong when we were together at Notre Dame. So that's the way it's done."

Meyer said he runs into many coaches on the recruiting trail in high schools or at the hotel, and he has strict criteria for who gets on his potential replacement list.

"When you're getting up at 6 a.m. and they are getting up at 9 a.m., those are the guys that are not on our staff," Meyer said. "They're at the Waffle House near the high schools."

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com.

[Last modified December 24, 2007, 23:47:58]