DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241 Posted July 28, 2011 Watching NFL Network today, they got into a pretty heated convo b/w the announcer guy who's name I still don't know against Jamie Dukes and Sapp. The announcer guy was talking and then Dukes interrupted and said that he believes Tebow is already one of the best leaders in the NFL. Sapp agreed 100% and then went on to say Tebow is in the top 5, already, to which Dukes agreed and expanded on. And they were going back and forth about it b/w the announcer guy saying Tebow can't be considered one of the best leaders in the NFL because he hasn't proven it in his play yet, and Dukes and Sapp were saying Tebow is already one of the best leaders in the NFL just because he was a "born leader". I personally agree with the announcer guy saying that Tebow can't be considered a great leader in the NFL till his play on the field backs it up. Thoughts? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BwareDWare94 723 Posted July 28, 2011 I dunno, man. All he does is lead. All a guy had to do to see that was watch him play a game. Be it Florida or for Denver. It's just obvious. Top 5 in the NFL already? Probably not, but he will be soon. Also, remember that a lot of the times, one of the role players is the leader. Tebow might never be a prolific QB, but that don't mean he can't be a great leader. Just look at Shane Battier in the NBA. Role player AND terrific leader. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted July 28, 2011 Can't call Tebow a top 5 leader, since there is no metric for leadership. He's a damn good one though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shotgun 442 Posted July 28, 2011 I think Tebow is a great leader no matter if he's the #1 QB or a back-up. On the other hand I can see the other guys point on him having to prove himself, because players aren't really going to follow a QB that can't win games no matter how good they are at talking. Of course that goes for starting players mostly, back-ups and role players as Bware said seem to still be able to somewhat "lead" guys on the practice field and keep them hyped and focused during the game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WindyCitySports 407 Posted July 28, 2011 I agree with BWare. He's a great leader, and I respect him for that. Still, I wouldn't say he's top 5 in the NFL. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CARDINAL 205 Posted July 28, 2011 Tim Tebow is a great leader, and will help to turn the Broncos around in the near future. I see him leading them to a Super Bowl win in the next five years, because he will just make everybody that plays on the offensive side of the football better every practice and game. If the Broncos can just get a vastly improved defense on the field, then they will easily win the AFC WEST every year with Tim Tebow under the helm. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
funnygunny 521 Posted July 28, 2011 how many cones were smoked before this argument took place? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BC 331 Posted July 28, 2011 I would argue that play on the field has such a big role that you can't call Tebow one of the better leaders in the NFL yet. Everyone expects that he has the potential to be one, but I think that's different. If I'm a reciever or lineman getting barked at by Tebow, I want him to have accomplished something first. The argument that you are "born a leader" doesn't work. You have to get that respect from your teammates, and make them believe that you can lead the team to victory, not just lead. Part of leading is with your words and enthusiasm, but an even bigger part of leading is overcoming an adversity, whether it be throw a touchdown pass with a crippled arm like Stafford did, turn a play that was destined to fail into a crucial game changing play like Eli Manning did, or whatever. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PackIsBack 124 Posted July 28, 2011 I think Tebow has to play more at the professional level to be considered a leader in the NFL. Clearly he did well in college and that does give a lot of people the perception that he will be a natural in the NFL. At least get through this upcoming season before you start tagging him as one of the best in the NFL. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241 Posted July 28, 2011 I would argue that play on the field has such a big role that you can't call Tebow one of the better leaders in the NFL yet. Everyone expects that he has the potential to be one, but I think that's different. If I'm a reciever or lineman getting barked at by Tebow, I want him to have accomplished something first. The argument that you are "born a leader" doesn't work. You have to get that respect from your teammates, and make them believe that you can lead the team to victory, not just lead. Part of leading is with your words and enthusiasm, but an even bigger part of leading is overcoming an adversity, whether it be throw a touchdown pass with a crippled arm like Stafford did, turn a play that was destined to fail into a crucial game changing play like Eli Manning did, or whatever. ^What he said... I don't care how great of a leader you are, it doesn't matter if your buried deep in the depth chart at some position, or if he stinks it up, even if his leadership skills are great, no one is gonna follow him... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Patriots2994 43 Posted July 28, 2011 Tim Tebow might be one of the best potential leaders in the NFL, but he is not yet one of the best. People seem to think his leadership from college just came over with him when the reality is in college he won games and became an veteran (for college, juniors/seniors) player that dominated in the SEC. He needs to take the Broncos and put up some winning drives and be the force behind some wins before he is considered a real leader. The entire team, including him, realize he isn't going to be their leader because he hasn't earned the place in the locker room yet to be able to give pep talks to themselves, especially the vets. Tebow needs to prove himself in the NFL, and once he does, he'll earn the respect he deserves from the veterans and other players in the Broncos organization in order to become a true leader. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted July 28, 2011 Well he has that Houston game under his belt... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phins4life 271 Posted July 28, 2011 Watching NFL Network today, they got into a pretty heated convo b/w the announcer guy who's name I still don't know against Jamie Dukes and Sapp. The announcer guy was talking and then Dukes interrupted and said that he believes Tebow is already one of the best leaders in the NFL. Sapp agreed 100% and then went on to say Tebow is in the top 5, already, to which Dukes agreed and expanded on. And they were going back and forth about it b/w the announcer guy saying Tebow can't be considered one of the best leaders in the NFL because he hasn't proven it in his play yet, and Dukes and Sapp were saying Tebow is already one of the best leaders in the NFL just because he was a "born leader". I personally agree with the announcer guy saying that Tebow can't be considered a great leader in the NFL till his play on the field backs it up. Thoughts? I think his name is Marc Brown. I saw that debate as well, and I'm not sure they were on the same page as to how leadership should be defined. One seemed to be referencing his quality as a leader based on accomplishments, while the other argument was based on the "it" factor where a guy at any age can get his teammates pumped up and inspired enough to play harder than usual, regardless of tangible accomplishments. In terms of achievement, he clearly has not met the criteria except at the collegiate level. Based on emotion and drive to succeed, he has tremendous potential. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
O-Town 3 Posted July 29, 2011 (edited) Following Denver 24-7 I think Tebow is an awesome leader. I was at their camp last year and watched him constantly work with the reserves. The dude would not sit down and rest. Being out here in orlando I got to watch him every Saturday during his time in G-Ville. The work he did on the field as well as off the field in the communities while in college was amazing. I always ask people who trash him, "how could you hate somebody like that?" And they just say, "just because." It blows me away. I'm excited for the Broncs to move Orton(who I like) just so we can see who we have in Tebow as a QB. Either way, he's a great leader. I don't know about this ranking stuff, but I've never heard a teammate say anything but awesome things about the guy. That has to say something... Edited July 29, 2011 by O-Town Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stone 1 Posted July 31, 2011 Either way, he's a great leader. I don't know about this ranking stuff, but I've never heard a teammate say anything but awesome things about the guy. That has to say something... Exactly. Tebow is going to make a lot of people eat crow this year. The guy is amazing, he even made a Gator fan out of this Tennessee grad when I moved down here. You cant help respect the way he works, and he works as hard if not harder than anybody in the league. He will make both sides of the ball better through his effort, and the success will come. The thing that really bugs me about this kid is the loss of mechanics from his Sophomore season til now. That year he was zipping the ball and making throws I've never seen a lefty make, then Urban Meyer happened. Anyway, I'm pulling for the kid to have a big year. Numbers alone don't tell the story, just look at the interviews with Orton... seriously, who do you think the Broncos would rather play for? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NFLStatsBlog 6 Posted August 5, 2011 I'm sure he is a great leader, but the biggest test of a leader is whether his teammates follow him when the going gets tough. Let's see what happens if there is a couple game stretch when things might look bad--will their be discontent or will he be the general of his troops? It's easy to "lead" during camp or when the pressure is off. I'm thinking of Eli during the 2007 season, when the Giants were on the brink of collapse but came back strong to get in the playoffs (and go on to win the SB). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NaTaS+ 958 Posted August 6, 2011 There are plenty of guys that are natural born leaders who have little to no talent on the field (Or does not transition to the NFL level) - normally those guys go on to be coaches. Tebow could revolutionize the QB position or he may crash and burn. Who knows but his leadership skills can help but its only a small piece of the equation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
