How many national championships did Tim Tebow win? Revisiting the Gators' NCAA title wins from 2006-2008
There wasn't a more deadly combination in college football during the mid to late 2000s than Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow. The Florida Gators were a menace, winnining two two NCAA national titles and two Southeastern Conference championships from 2006 to 2008.
Tebow was also selected as the best college football player of the 2007 season, earning the acclaimed Heisman Trophy. With his signature jump pass and powerful offense backed up by a steely defense, this period would become the stuff of legends in college football fans' collective memory.
2006: NCAA title win
While not the starter for the 2006 season, Tim Tebow played an important role in the 2006 Gators' NCAA title win.
That year, he backed up Chris Leak, consistently coming off the bench with terrifying effectiveness. In week 6, he came in against ninth-ranked LSU, passing for two touchdowns and rushing for one, accounting for all of the Gators' touchdowns in the win.
Florida won the SEC championship game against the Arkansas Razorbacks in a 38-28 game in which Tebow played little part. In the NCAA title game against Ohio State, Tebow threw for one touchdown and rushed for one. The game was a 41-14 Gator demolition job with Urban Meyer's signature all over.
2007: The Heisman season
2007 was Tim Tebow's stellar season. His performances and his humility and dedication to his team earned him the everlasting respect of the Gator Nation.
While the Gator did not win the NCAA title, it would be a season for the history books.
Tebow threw for 3,286 yards and rushed for 895, accruing 51 touchdowns. In week 10 against the South Carolina Gamecocks, Tebow ebbed his name into posterity, throwing for 304 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 120 yards with five TDs in a performance for the ages.
Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, with only Darren McFadden of the University of Arkansas being anywhere near.
While a 9-4 record wasn't enough to repeat as NCAA champs, things looked bright for the Gators.
2008: NCAA title win
In the 2008 season, Tim Tebow led Urban Meyer's Florida Gators to a 13-1 record, and more importantly, a second NCAA title win.
While not posting as impressive numbers as in the 2007 season, with 2,747 passing yards, 673 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns, Tebow was still a force to be reckoned with.
The Gators won the SEC championship game against Nick Saban's top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and got the coveted national championship against the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners. Tebow threw for 231 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and rushed for 109 yards in the Gators' NCAA title win.
Tim Tebow's "Promise"
Tim Tebow is best remembered at Florida not for his numbers, NCAA title wins or any accolade, but for his gallant response to a loss.
In week 4 of the 2008 season, the Gators were confronted with an unexpected loss to Ole Miss. The Gators entered the season expecting to go undefeated and looking for an NCAA title win.In the wake of what seemed like a calamitous disaster, in a televised speech, Tebow vowed to fight on and carry his Florida Gators to an NCAA title win.
We'll leave you with Tim Tebow's words, that are engraved on a plaque at the University of Florida:
"You will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season, God Bless."