The Back Alley Archives

New York, NY

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow (Jacksonville, Fla.) has added another piece of hardware and another accolade in what has been a historic post-season for the sophomore. Tebow was honored with the James E. Sullivan Memorial Award as the nation’s most outstanding amateur athlete Tuesday night by the AAU at the New York Athletic Club. In addition to this postseason award, Tebow also became the first sophomore in college football history to win the Heisman Trophy and received the Davey O’Brien and Maxwell Awards in December.



"It has been a blessing to be honored by many different organizations," Tebow said. "It is humbling to be recognized for the Sullivan Award and to be associated with the ideals that it represents (leadership, character, sportsmanship, and strong moral character). My parents and the Florida coaching staff work hard to instill the same principles in me and my teammates. I accept the award on behalf of my teammates and the entire Gator Nation."



Tebow is the only player in Florida football history and only the second athlete in school history, joining swimmer Tracy Caulkins (1978), to take home the award. Caulkins led the Gators to a national championship title in 1982 as a freshman and went on to claim 16 individual NCAA and 12 SEC titles, racking up 21 All-America honors in her three years of collegiate swimming. By winning this award, Tebow joins Peyton Manning, Charlie Ward, Arnold Tucker and Felix "Doc" Blanchard as the five college football players who have received the Sullivan Award in its 78-year history.



Tebow was one of four finalists for the award along with Michigan State ice hockey player Jeff Lerg, 61-year-old track and fielder Philippa Raschker, Virginia Tech softball pitcher Angela Tincher and Oklahoma gymnast Jonathan Horton.



Also named the AP SEC Offensive Player of Year, Tebow enjoyed a record-breaking season that included setting a new NCAA single-season rushing touchdown record by a quarterback with 23. An All-SEC first-team selection by both the league’s coaches and the AP, Tebow also became the first quarterback in college football history to pass for 20 and rush for 20 touchdowns. He also set a new standard in single-season touchdown accountability in the SEC, totaling 55 touchdowns (32 passing, 23 rushing).



Tebow garnered SEC Offensive Player of the Week accolades three times this year and was named the National Offensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Foundation twice. In addition, he was also a finalist for the Manning Award presented by the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Off the field, his performance has been just as sterling, earning a spot on ESPN The Magazine’s Academic All-American First-Team squad. He became just the fourth sophomore student-athlete in UF history to receive such a distinction.



Tebow wrapped up the regular season in his first full year as a starter by guiding Florida to a 9-4 record. He paced the SEC in passing efficiency (172.46), total offense (321.6) and total scoring, averaging 10.6 points per game.



He trails Emmitt Smith (36) by only five touchdowns to tie the career rushing touchdown record at UF and has posted a NCAA-record 14-game streak with at least one rushing and one passing touchdown. Tebow was at the helm of the top offense in the SEC, leading Florida to 42.5 points per game. The Gators averaged 457.2 yards of offense, also tops in the league.

Against Ole Miss, he set the school record in rushing attempts by a quarterback (27) and yards (166). In the tilt against South Carolina, he accounted for seven touchdowns, tying a school mark, and rushed for five scores, setting another UF record. He threw for a career-high 338 yards against Florida Atlantic and tossed for a personal-best four scores against Kentucky. In seven of Florida’s 13 games this year, he has thrown three or more touchdowns and led Florida to 500 yards or more of total offense.