Tim Tebow Says He's the Best He's Ever Been at Pro Football: 'I Still Love It'
New ESPN analyst Tim Tebow has reiterated his interest in playing again for the NFL, saying in a recent interview that he is keeping in top shape and believes he's "the best that I've ever been" at the highly-competitive sport.
"I'm training every day and feel like I'm the best that I've ever been," the 26-year-old told The Tennessean in a recent interview. "I still love it, love playing, talking about it, and I'm just excited about whatever the future holds. Who knows what could happen? But I'm excited about it, though."
The former Denver Broncos quarterback was discussing his new gig as an ESPN analyst for the SEC Network that begins broadcasting in August with the South Carolina vs. Texas A&M game. He told The Tennessean that he is especially excited to serve as an analyst for the SEC Network because it is uniquely different than other college sports networks.
"You have to start out with how the SEC is different," Tebow said. "It's different because of its passion, its tradition and the love for all of the teams; the good ones, the bad ones, it doesn't matter. There is still so much passion for every team, and that's different from every other conference. It's fun to be a part of that. I've been a part of it my entire life."
Tebow was part of the SEC, or Southeastern Conference, during his college years when he played quarterback for the Florida Gators. He then moved into the NFL, playing quarterback for the Denver Broncos before playing for the New York Jets. He then played for the New England Patriots for their 2013 pre-season before being dropped from the team, which is when he picked up a job opportunity as an ESPN analyst.
The former NFL quarterback has previously stated that he would love the opportunity to play again in the NFL, although he is equally excited for his new adventure as an ESPN analyst. Tebow told reporters in January that he still trains five days a week, saying : "I feel like I'm the best that I've ever been as a quarterback right now, and I hope I get the opportunity to show that."
Tebow has also said that he would like to bring his positive, good-natured demeanor into his new analyst gig. "I would love to continue to be someone that is positive but also be someone that is objective."
"I have never had a hard time saying what I believe or standing up for something, and hopefully, I can continue to be that same person as an analyst and sharing what I believe about players, about teams, about games."
ESPN also recently announced that former NFL player and Louisiana State University alumnus Marcus Spears will join Tebow, Paul Finebaum and Joe Tessitore in co-hosting the pre-game show for the SEC network.