If You Must Compare Tim Tebow To a Running Back ...

I’m SO psyched! heheh..

It’s difficult to find the parallels between Brown and Tebow.

Other than my opinion that no one compares to Brown and no ones compares to Tebow.

From ‘06 we go from Plummer to Cutler. The move absolutely ruined Plummer as a player and Cutler is the guy. The next two years we see a guy with flashes lead a team to gaudy numbers but ultimately makes too many mistakes. Coaching change, new coach alienates current QB, QB acts like baby, we get Orton. After a year, we get Tebow. With Orton we get a nice enough guy and true professional but not the guy to lead us where we need to go. He succumed to the pressure of a contract year and the pressure of public outcry for Tebow. Plummer, Cutler, Orton…there’s a theme here. All were undermined, two by coaches, one by other factors, but nonetheless, they folded.

Tebow thus far has been questioned or undermined by the following:

A belief by most that his awkward throwing motion and unrefined footwork would keep him from being successful.

Attacks on his religious beliefs from all directions, including from those that once echoed the words he speaks.

doubt from the media

doubt from his peers

doubt from his team executive

doubt from his coaches

doubt from his teammates

doubt from the fans

He still has awkward footwork. He still does have a weird throwing motion. He still does have accuracy issues.

But one thing he isn’t…he isn’t a quitter. He WON’T FOLD under pressure, no matter where it’s coming from.

The things that define his shortcomings are measured and can be worked on.

The things that define his strengths cannot be measured or quantified by words or numbers. This is something that can’t be taught—-only observed.

For the first time since John Elway finished writing his HOF and storybook career, we have someone that WON’T FOLD under pressure, and relishes to have the ball in his hands when the game is on the line.

Tim Tebow is a lot more rare than someone with a rocket arm or pinpoint accuracy. Instead of looking for something ‘better’ we should realize what we have. He is one of a kind. Better keep him around;)

Jim Brown’s stride. Maybe I’ve just never noticed strides before, but there were times where Brown had 2.5-yard strides in that film. Two steps every five yards. On Tebow’s td run, it looked like they were 1.5-yard strides.

With guys like Cam Newton, Tim Tebow and Robert Griffin upcoming, the offense styles are going to cater to these skill sets. John Fox is the forerunner of this movement. Winning through will through the air not exsist in 5 years. Which franchises adopt this ideal will remain to be seen. I believe Coach Fox see’s it now and is “running with it”

Great comparison Lynch. I remember watching a piece on Jim Brown a while back where he said that he would always jump right back up after being hit. He would never show weakness. It stood out to me because I can only imagine playing against a guy like that. Your will would start to break sooner or later against a guy like that. Frustration would arise against a guy like that. I believe you would begin to even doubt yourself against a guy like that.

The power of the mind is something that isn’t quantitative in football, but it may be one of the more important components.

No Tebow isn’t a running back, but he has that same competitiveness that Jim Brown had. He breaks down his opponents and builds up his teammates. There have been few players who you watch and can say they have “it.” I can’t define that term exactly, but I know Jim Brown had it, and I know our boy Tebow has it. It’s great being a Bronco fan!

Both players have / had a chip on their shoulder. Both players were / are extremely competitive. HOWEVER, Tim Tebow is not angry and Jim Brown was. Very big difference.

In my opinion, though, there was/is a better comparison to be made. And on the very evening of the 2010 NFL Draft, right on the NFL Network, this former player spoke in a manner reminiscent of the next coming of himself…Steve Young.

I lived in Northern Ohio in the 60’s and on two occasions got to attend Cleveland Browns games at the old Lakefront Stadium; a cold place to watch games both in Summer (BB) and in the Fall (FB).
The most anticipated game for me was a chance to watch two of the games best RB,s at the time on the same field competing with one another. Jim Brown and Gayle Sayres in a Bears/Browns match up on a gorgeous sunny November afternoon. When my buddy and I sat down in our seats the field announcer came on the P.A. system and announced that Sayres was hurt and would not play. Bummer! The Browns cleaned up on the Bears that day and I must say that I have NEVER seen as tough and tenacious of an RB as Jim Brown. Even though the defensive linemen and linebackers were a bit smaller in those days compared to now, it was an awesome sight to watch Jim get hit at the line of scrimmage and carry three or four defenders five yards down the field. He did it consistently, five yards and a cloud of dust. To me he will always be the best at his position. Tim Lynch, thanks for the great article and a few old memories.

…that even Cleveland’s rivers caught on fire back then.

i see lots of parallels between tim tebow and michael jordan—as far as determination goes. you look at tebow’s face, you look at jordan’s face when the game is on the line. tim is a once in a generation talent. he will be a great qb. before he got to play this season, i told you guys you have a qb who will win multiple superbowls. and while i have seem doubtful at times, given my surprise to how off his passing is at times, he restores my faith by virtue of the plays he continues to makes. i can’t wait to see him next season, after a whole off-season of fine tuning his mechanics, etc. i say that in two years, he will have the passing dimension down. and once added to his running ability, he will be unstoppable.

I still shake my head when I see D. Thomas not even offer an attempt to block on Tebows run.

Tebow and Brown share this ideology. I think it’s apt to compare them.

J

For having noone around him and to do what he did his beyond amazing.