New Eagles quarterback Tim Tebow is no stranger to media attention.
But for NFL clubs, the focus on Tebow has been an unwanted byproduct of having the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner on the roster, his former college coach believes.
In an interview Tuesday with The Dan Patrick Show, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said numerous NFL coaches had indicated the attention paid to Tebow was an annoyance.
“I talked to many of the coaches involved, and one thing every coach wants is lack of distraction so they can focus on their team,” said Meyer, who coached Tebow at Florida. “And when all of a sudden ESPN has live people watching practice, and every time you wake up there’s ‘Tim Tebow this, Tebow this, Tebow this’ and you’re talking about a backup quarterback. And that did wear on people.”
However, Meyer noted: "... I think that is over for the most part, because you just don’t hear as much, and now hopefully Tim can just learn to be an NFL quarterback.
Asked about why Tebow wasn’t able to sustain success earlier in his career, Meyer noted the quarterback’s role in Denver’s 2011 division championship and dismissed Tebow’s tough one-season stint with the Jets as “not good for all involved.”
Said Meyer: “The problem with Tim — and this is the only problem — he creates so much conversation and distraction that I think that spooks some teams.
“And I think we’re that far beyond it now, that that’s not that big of a distraction anymore. He’s just a quarterback trying to make a team now.”
Meyer said he recently talked to Tebow and was pleased about his former player’s new career opportunity in Philadelphia.
“He deserves it. Hope he makes it. He’s in a great place,” Meyer said.