Tim Tebow Through the Years: From Football Star to Sports Broadcaster and Beyond

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Tim Tebow Through the Years: From Football Star to Sports Broadcaster and Beyond

Between his time in the NFL and playing minor league baseball and his stint as a sports broadcaster on ESPN, Tim Tebow has really done it all. The athlete started out as a star football player at the University of Florida, where he played under coach Urban Meyer. After a successful collegiate career, Tebow was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played as the team's starting quarterback for two years. In 2016, after nearly seven years in the NFL, Tebow declared his passion for baseball and signed with the New York Mets' minor league team, where he played until 2021. Aside from sports, Tebow is also a successful ESPN football analyst. “I want to do a good job [at broadcasting],” Tebow said in a 2014 interview with USA Today. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. I’m a believer in that. I want to be the best at this that I can be.” Keep scrolling to learn more about Tebow’s life and career:

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1987

Tebow was born in Makati, Philippines, in 1987 but was raised in Jacksonville, Florida. After being pegged as Florida’s Player of the Year in high school, Tebow went on to attend the University of Florida in 2006 where he played for the Florida Gators. Throughout his collegiate career, he received numerous accolades including becoming the first underclassman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and winning Florida’s MVP Award three years in a row.

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2010

After all his success at the University of Florida, Tebow was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Nearly one year after being drafted, the football superstar was named as the team’s starting quarterback in 2011, leading the Broncos to its first division title and playoff victory since 2005.

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2012

Two years after playing for the Broncos, Tebow was traded to several other teams for short stints including the New York Jets from 2012 to 2013, the New England Patriots from 2013 to 2015 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015.

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2013

Tebow began his career as a broadcaster in 2013 when he was hired by ESPN as a football analyst. He now appears on the ESPN talk show First Take alongside Stephen A. Smith, which he joined in 2021.

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2016

After only playing football for several years, Tebow signed a minor league contract with the baseball’s New York Mets in 2016. The athlete remained on the team for five years before announcing his retirement from the sport in February 2021.

“I want to thank the Mets, [team president Sandy] Alderson, the fans and all my teammates for the chance to be a part of such a great organization,” Tebow said in a statement released by the organization at the time. “I loved every minute of the journey, but at this time I feel called in other directions. I never want to be partially in on anything. I always want to be 100 percent in on whatever I choose. Thank you again for everyone’s support of this awesome in baseball, I’ll always cherish my time.”

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2020

One year after announcing his engagement, Tebow tied the knot with model Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters in South Africa.

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2021

Following a six year break from football, Tebow signed on as a tight end under a one-year contract for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The coach for the Jaguars was also Tebow’s former college coach Meyers. Three months after starting, Tebow was released from the team following  the first preseason game.

"Thankful for the highs and even the lows, the opportunities, and the setbacks. I've never wanted to make decisions out of fear of failure and I'm grateful for the chance to have pursued a dream,” Tebow wrote via Instagram at the time. “Thank you to the @jaguars organization and everyone who has supported me in this journey.”

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2023

Tebow starred in the Netflix docuseries Untold: Swamp Kings which details Florida’s championship team under Meyer from 2005 to 2010.