Lonestar
05-02-2010, 11:25 PM
Kiszla: Charismatic Tebow now McD's favorite
By Mark Kiszla
The Denver Post
POSTED: 05/02/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
What we have here is a man crush.
From the gleam in the eye of Denver coach Josh McDaniels, it's hard to tell whether he wants to start Tim Tebow at quarterback or adopt him as member of the family.
There's a nagging suspicion McDaniels didn't draft a Heisman Trophy winner so much as he fell head over heels for a football soul mate. Here is a coach and quarterback whose hearts beat as one.
"Whoever plays that position has a great impact on the team. The head coach hopefully has a significant impact on the team, as well. So you hope you share the same philosophy, the same beliefs, the same values. As much as you can, you hope your leadership styles are similar," McDaniels said.
But forget the breathless hype and the No. 15 jerseys flying off the shelves of Denver stores for a moment. If you're asking me, this is how the current Broncos quarterbacks rank in terms of raw ability to win football games in the NFL:
1. Brady Quinn
2. Kyle Orton
3. Tebow
There's no denying Tebow is a winner. But playing quarterback for Florida might be the cushiest gig in college football. You telling me Quinn or Orton couldn't have won a national championship for the Gators?
As a general rule of thumb, give me quarterbacks who empowered a college team not known for attracting blue- chippers at every position on the field. For example: Drew Brees at Purdue, Philip Rivers at North Carolina State, Ben Roethlisberger at Miami (Ohio), Donovan McNabb at Syracuse, John Elway at Stanford.
McDaniels certainly wouldn't be the first person to hyperventilate in the reflection of Tebow's smile. He shines like the Florida sun. His personality is as genuinely powerful as truth, justice and the American way.
Tebow is the best man for the job. In tests of character, he's unbeatable. But is Tebow the best quarterback for a professional team? There's a big difference.
There is more than McDaniels ego and job security tied to the success of Tebow. This is a test of his very football philosophy, proof that an unproven, 34-year-old coach's core values can equate with success at the NFL level.
"Curfew is like a bad word for him, and that's not because he wants to be in a tavern somewhere," said McDaniels, saluting a Tebow commitment to excellence that never sleeps. "He's going to work himself into situations where he can be successful."
If New England quarterback Tom Brady made McDaniels an offensive genius and a very rich man, then this is the chance for McDaniels to go down in history as the mentor who transformed Tebow's raw physical gifts into a Hall of Fame player.
While nobody accuses me of being a dreamy idealist, one reason I like McDaniels is there's so much heartland earnestness in his approach to the game. The coach doesn't waver. Or didn't you notice? The eye-roll cynicism of Jay Cutler or the slacker charm of Brandon Marshall doesn't play here in Denver anymore.
When McDaniels looks in the mirror, he sees Tebow.
The coach insists the fact that Tebow is a first-round draft choice won't skew the competition at quarterback. "We've told our team that the best players will be on the field," McDaniels said.
In the end, all we can hope is the race to be the No. 1 QB in Denver is ultimately based on the merit of moving the chains rather than the 29 dimensions of an eHarmony compatibility test.
Orton and Quinn better not be the jealous type.
Because Tebow certainly seems to be the quarterback McDaniels loves best.
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_15000288
By Mark Kiszla
The Denver Post
POSTED: 05/02/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
What we have here is a man crush.
From the gleam in the eye of Denver coach Josh McDaniels, it's hard to tell whether he wants to start Tim Tebow at quarterback or adopt him as member of the family.
There's a nagging suspicion McDaniels didn't draft a Heisman Trophy winner so much as he fell head over heels for a football soul mate. Here is a coach and quarterback whose hearts beat as one.
"Whoever plays that position has a great impact on the team. The head coach hopefully has a significant impact on the team, as well. So you hope you share the same philosophy, the same beliefs, the same values. As much as you can, you hope your leadership styles are similar," McDaniels said.
But forget the breathless hype and the No. 15 jerseys flying off the shelves of Denver stores for a moment. If you're asking me, this is how the current Broncos quarterbacks rank in terms of raw ability to win football games in the NFL:
1. Brady Quinn
2. Kyle Orton
3. Tebow
There's no denying Tebow is a winner. But playing quarterback for Florida might be the cushiest gig in college football. You telling me Quinn or Orton couldn't have won a national championship for the Gators?
As a general rule of thumb, give me quarterbacks who empowered a college team not known for attracting blue- chippers at every position on the field. For example: Drew Brees at Purdue, Philip Rivers at North Carolina State, Ben Roethlisberger at Miami (Ohio), Donovan McNabb at Syracuse, John Elway at Stanford.
McDaniels certainly wouldn't be the first person to hyperventilate in the reflection of Tebow's smile. He shines like the Florida sun. His personality is as genuinely powerful as truth, justice and the American way.
Tebow is the best man for the job. In tests of character, he's unbeatable. But is Tebow the best quarterback for a professional team? There's a big difference.
There is more than McDaniels ego and job security tied to the success of Tebow. This is a test of his very football philosophy, proof that an unproven, 34-year-old coach's core values can equate with success at the NFL level.
"Curfew is like a bad word for him, and that's not because he wants to be in a tavern somewhere," said McDaniels, saluting a Tebow commitment to excellence that never sleeps. "He's going to work himself into situations where he can be successful."
If New England quarterback Tom Brady made McDaniels an offensive genius and a very rich man, then this is the chance for McDaniels to go down in history as the mentor who transformed Tebow's raw physical gifts into a Hall of Fame player.
While nobody accuses me of being a dreamy idealist, one reason I like McDaniels is there's so much heartland earnestness in his approach to the game. The coach doesn't waver. Or didn't you notice? The eye-roll cynicism of Jay Cutler or the slacker charm of Brandon Marshall doesn't play here in Denver anymore.
When McDaniels looks in the mirror, he sees Tebow.
The coach insists the fact that Tebow is a first-round draft choice won't skew the competition at quarterback. "We've told our team that the best players will be on the field," McDaniels said.
In the end, all we can hope is the race to be the No. 1 QB in Denver is ultimately based on the merit of moving the chains rather than the 29 dimensions of an eHarmony compatibility test.
Orton and Quinn better not be the jealous type.
Because Tebow certainly seems to be the quarterback McDaniels loves best.
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_15000288