The Broncos’ passing camp is underway. Clearly, there is much attention on the Broncos’ four quarterbacks: Kyle Orton, Brady Quinn, Tom Brandstater and Tim Tebow.
Shortly after the NFL draft, 850 KOA had the chance to talk with Tebow (TT) one two occasions. Here is part two of our interview.
850 KOA: You’ve obviously been blessed with great skills. But it’s apparent you have a broader perspective on things. Where does that come from?
TT: It’s having that relationship with Jesus Christ and knowing that football is just a game. It’s passionate, I love it. I care about it, I want to be the best I can be at football. But at the end of the day, it’s just a game. There are things that are more important. Football gives me a platform. It gives me an opportunity to walk into a hospital and make a kid smile. It gives me the opportunity to talk at a youth ranch and inspire young boys. It gives me an opportunity to talk to a team and tell them you can go reach your dreams if you believe in yourself and outwork your opponent. That’s what I believe football gives me. It gives me the opportunity to share my faith and that’s what I love about it. I believe it’s an obligation to make a difference in people’s lives because you are blessed with a platform. If you go out there and win games and try to win championships, at the end of the day, what does your life really mean? You won some games. But those trophies, they’re going to rust and they’re not going to mean much one day. If you make a difference in people’s lives, that’s going to make an impact and that’s going to last forever.
850 KOA: You find out you’re one of the first picks, you come to Denver, you meet the press, you talk to the coach and you fly home. How is your life right now and what exactly does it entail?
TT: My life is wonderful. I am truly blessed. I had a great time flying to Denver and getting to know everybody. Right now, it’s pretty much just learning the offense. As we speak I have film in front of me and I’m just trying to understand this Bronco offense.
850 KOA: Despite the fact you are in Florida, you’re still trying to learn everything and getting ready to be a Denver Bronco?
TT: I’m trying to learn, I’m trying to get better every day. For me, the great thing about it is it’s not work. It’s something I love to do and so even if I didn’t get paid for it and it was something I could go do for fun I would do it. I do it with all my heart.
850 KOA: After the Broncos drafted you, Coach McDaniels was quick to point out that he stole some of the Florida offense that you ran in college under Coach Urban Meyer. Are there any similarities you can see between the Broncos’ offense and what you ran at Florida?
TT: Yes, there are some similarities with some of our reads, some of our progressions, a lot of our empty package, a lot of our five-wide. The verbage is different. For me, for a lot of the empty (formations), it’s just translating the verbage. I can pick up on it pretty quick because we did a lot of similar things. That package is pretty easy to pick up and learn. A lot of the other stuff is a little bit different. It’s things that have evolved with Coach McDaniels. But overall it’s a great offense. I’m excited about learning it. I’m excited about being in it and understanding it so it becomes second nature for me.
850 KOA: Now matter how good a player was in college, he must, in a sense, start over when he moves on to the NFL. What will your approach be at mini-camps and training camp?
TT: There are two important ingredients you need to have. Number one, you need to be humble. You have to know that you don’t know it all. You have to understand that there are a lot of people that have been doing this for a while and those people can teach you a lot. And then you have to come in with the drive, with the hunger to work hard and get better and soak up knowledge and talk to the other guys and learn and try to improve every day. For the rookies coming in, our number one goal needs to be to do those things and earn respect from the older guys, not with our words but our actions.
850 KOA: When you were playing in Coach Meyer’s offense at Florida, how much of that offense was called in the huddle as opposed to how much did you have at the line of scrimmage to change a play?
TT: We’d call something in the huddle and we’d go up to the line and have a lot of things, run-run checks, run-pass checks, pass-pass checks. We’d go up there (to the line) with three or four different calls where if they give us this look, we’re going to check to this. If they give us this look, we’re going to check to this. Our philosophy at Florida was we want to be in the best possible play in the best possible scenario. We didn’t want to lock ourselves down to just being in one play. Coach (Meyer) gave me the ability to have freedom at the line of scrimmage to be able to audible. Even if we know we want to run the ball, we still have audibles to three or four different runs depending on the (defensive) looks. We always went up there with multiple options but a lot of it was game plan. You’d say, versus this look, we’re going to run “x,” versus this look, we’re going to run “z” and we’d always have those different looks we would be able to change it to. I think that gave us a lot more success at Florida because we had the ability to try to get into a better play.
As always, feel free to post thoughts you might have about Tebow or the Broncos’ quarterbacks. I appreciate your reading.
Sincerely,
Mike
Tags: Brady Quinn, Head Coach Josh McDaniels, Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow, Tom Brandstater
like I said the future is now!!!!!!!!!
Did I read that right,Baylin said it’s about Tebow time,I agree 100%,throw him in the FIRE,if (I mean when) he survives he’ll be better for it,and will make him that much better in 2011,and Dawk says he likes Wink’s new Defense,if he likes it,hey it’s gotta be good,Wink’s Swaggering Defense,I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NN….Agreed bro,the future is NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
As far as Tebow throwing for 20 td’s
and rushing for 20 td’s,I don’t ever see that happening in the NFL,but maybe he can throw for 20-25,and rush for 10 someday.That would still be AWESOME as Hell.
Tebow could start right away……but having a great running game would be essential for his success.
Look at sanchez last year. Had a solid rookie season along with a killer run game and a shutdown defense.
If we……
Pound the rock
Have a tough as nails D
Let tim be comfortable and not put him in bad situations
We could make playoffs with a rookie QB.
put in Tebow and save yourself the time of watching Orton not being able to throw the deep ball.
I love the passion and convictions and commitment and humility and hard work ethic of Tim Tebow–
Those sorts of attitudes are infectious in a great way!
Go Broncos!
Jets only got there because Indy and Cincy laid down in consecutive weeks (and our beloved Broncos had the Quintessential Qollapse). Im not taking anything away from their accomplishments in the playoffs, but lets be rational.
We have missed the playoffs in 4 consecutive seasons. Starting Tebow (or Quinn) can lead to a 5th. That potentially makes 2011 a make or break kind of year. Hypothetically, If Orton starts we have a better chance of making it to the playoffs this year, then if an unproven Tebow or an inconsistent Quinn can provide.
If Orton has a horrible year (which I dont see happening), then McD can get exactly what he wants. To place the blame on Orton (insted of himself) and start the future next year.
So here is McDs Quadratic Quagmire- risk the playoffs this year for a chance next year?
And how long will Broncos Country wait for that playoff berth?
My answer is this year, and nothing less
GO BRONCOS 2K10!!!!!!!!!!
Just because orton starts doesn’t mean we make playoffs. So start orton this year just to erase everything we do this year when tebow starts next year?
Orton isn’t going to be on the team next year. Everyone knows that. Why waste a season now when we could be moving into the future instead?
Besides I honestly think quinn has the ability to beat him out this minicamp.
Hard to figure out what this season is going to be like, not an easy schedule, we have an average QB in the slot with some potential in the wings, no idea what the running and passing games are going to look like. Our D looked pretty good for most of last season but did not hold up, so once again we head toward a new season with no idea what our team can do. Its all good after all it is football and nothing better in the fall than a good Bronco game and a tasty beverage (though some wins would be great).
GO BRONCOS
We have a better chance if Orton starts. Operative words being BETTER CHANCE!
Just like everybody knows Orton wont be here next year, everbody knows Tebow is the future. Feast or Famine. So why rush it along?
Ultimately it is McD’s call. Everybody knows that too. Im simply asking, how many seasons does McD have to take us to the playoffs?
So on a scale of 1-10 how disappointed would you be if orton played 16 games and topped all his number but we still missed the playoffs?
not disappointed at all, as that would prove its not the players, its the COACH! c’mon Florio, lol! It wasnt Orton’s fault we missed the tournament last season…
I dont like the prospect of missing the playoffs for the 5th consecutive year, AT ALL. Thats why I believe Orton is our best chance at directing this offense on the field to get us there this season!
being here in Arkansas and fan, watching Tebow in the SEC, heck yeah he could start now in the NFL. wont have a harder worker at QB and yeah he will make mistakes, but I do believe that someone named John Elway had a bad first few years and is now in the Hall of Fame. Put him in and see what happens.
Orton gotta go-make room for TEBOW.
I blame the coach for having a turd start our games if orton plays.
Say we go 9-7 and miss the playoffs I would be happy if it was tebow that took it that far and pissed if it was orton.
I concur with florio’s_mom!!!!!
Sorry guys, Tebow will not, and should not, be a starting QB this year. But, lest we forget a boy named Quinn who is dying for a chance to prove he’s not a Ryan Leaf, and a guy who is feeling the heat. I still believe Orton is a good, GOOD, QB, but he will never be anyone’s savior. Come 2012 . . . Watch out. Moreno with a few years, the rookie WR’s with a year or two, and in comes Timmy. San Diego better enjoy this year, it’s there last as the “team to beat” in the AFC West.
I also agree with Florios mom as well. Sign Doom!!
I agree I really dont think Tebow will start the season…although he is no doubt the teams future QB I just don’t see him as the QB of right now. Mcd is a QB expert and I trust he will throw Tim into the fire when he is ready. at this point no one knows how Tim will handle the NFL but he is a rookie and he has a lot to learn so I just dont forsee him taking us to a 9-7 record if he started every game. I am very very excited for the future and what Tim will do for the broncos but I think I would put my money on kyle or quinn to give us a better record than Tebow this year!
GO BRONCOS!!!
The way I see it, sitting tebow could set us back. Look at it this way two options over 4 years:
1.
Orton starts all the games, tebow rides the bench. 60/40 chance we make playoffs. Next year tebow starts 16 games and we miss the play offs due to his inexperience. Year 3 we make playoffs, tim gets more comfortable. Year 4 we make it to the AFC championship but lose.
2.
Tebow starts 16 games this year. 25/ 75 we make play offs. Next year we make playoffs because tim is more comfortable in the system and has more experience. Year 3 we make it to the AFC championship but lose. Year 4 superbowl.
Either way I don’t think make playoffs consecutive years. Or at least I doubt it. But him sitting a year sets us back a year. And would you rather make playoffs sooner or win the superbowl sooner. Mcds choice. Lol
I’m sure even if he doesnt start Mcd will make different packages for him to run, I like tebow starting for us at the beginning of the season right now is about a 5% chance him starting at the end of the season I’m thinking its about 50%. but regardless of his playing time Tebow is a sponge even if he is on the sideline he will soak up and learn everything he possibly can, and although nothing makes you learn faster than being out there, I think it would be beneficial for him to at least spend 6-9 games on the sideline to observe and see what he needs for success!
GO BRONCOS!!!
Let Timmy ride the bench for a year or two. He has two average but experienced quaterbacks to lean on and a great offensive-minded coach to learn from. No pressure, nothing to stunt his growth, learns at his own pace and comes in “guns-blazing” his second or third year. Look what it did for Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady or David Garrard?
Let’s just wait and see who wins out at QB and go with it. Orton, Quinn, and Tebow all bring different intangibles to the table. All 3 may eventually play this season and there is no reason to lobby one way, as they are all worthy of this opportunity. Let them battle this out in camp and may the best QB start.