Remembering Tim Tebow's 'The Promise' speech which inspired Gators to the 2008 SEC Championship
Former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow has engraved his name in the Florida Gators' history books as one of their best quarterbacks. But apart from his scintillating performance for them, Tebow is widely remembered in the Swamp for his iconic promise that he made to the fans back in 2008.
The Gators had a fantastic season in 2008, going on to win the SEC championship as well as the national championship. But in the midst of this journey, they faced an unexpected hurdle, succumbing to a loss at the hands of Ole Miss.
Tebow took it upon himself to shoulder the responsibility of the loss, after not converting the 4th-and-1, which led to the match ending 31-30.
The Gators were coming in as favorites into the match, winning all three of their previous matches. But right after the loss, the former quarterback met with the media and delivered one of the most powerful speeches the Florida Gator fans still remember to this day.
After answering all the questions of the press, he made a very inspiring speech, which is today commemorated as the famous 'Promise speech' in Florida.
He said:
"I'm sorry. Extremely sorry. We were hoping for an undefeated season. That was my goal, something Florida's never done here. But I promise you one thing, a lot of good will come out of this."
"You have never seen any player play as hard as I will play the rest of this season, and you'll never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of this season. You'll never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season. God bless."
And the quarterback stood true to his words. After this, the Gators went undefeated throughout the whole regular season.
Not only this, but they also emerged victorious against Nick Saban's Alabama in the SEC championship game, before moving on to defeat the Oklahoma Sooners to crown themselves as national champions.
Tim Tebow gave fans an idea of what it meant to be a quarterback in the highly competitive SEC conference. His achievements and the glory he brought to Florida led to him being recognized as one of the football legends in the program's history. The "Promise" speech he made can now be found engraved on a plaque in the Ben Griffin stadium.
What happened to Tim Tebow after his Florida success?
After his college football success, Tim Tebow made his way to the NFL, where he was unsuccessful in replicating his college achievements. He had a pretty mediocre career, before leaving the league to play Minor League Baseball till 2021.
He once again decided to try his luck in the NFL, when he joined the Jacksonville Jaguars under his Gators coach Urban Meyer. This time, he wanted to try as a tight end rather than a quarterback. But it did not work out in his favor, with the team releasing him during the preseason.
In 2013, he decided to work as a college football analyst for ESPN. He decided to stick to his passion for sports, later signing a multi-year extension in 2017.
Tebow found himself alongside Stephen A. Smith on 'First Take' in 2021. He also is known as a speaker and the author of the New York Times best-selling book, 'Mission Impossible.'
The former quarterback went on to marry his wife and model Demi Leigh Nel-Peters in 2020, before settling down in Jacksonville, Florida. Tebow and his wife also oversee the operations of his foundation, the Tim Tebow Foundation (TTF).