There are four years of college football where the players experience the joys of screaming fellow students cheering their names during games on Saturdays and the woes of finishing homework in time for their classes on Mondays. They ultimately leave the campus they've called home for so long and go into the NFL where their recompense is a paycheck along with more cheering fans. But somewhere in the middle of that college glory era and the dream job is another stepping stone...the Senior Bowl.
This game is a great opportunity for these senior players because it gives them a chance to showcase their ability to transition from a college player to a NFL prospect. Some are expected to do well at the next level while some are under tremendous scrutiny, like the legendary Tim Tebow.
Though Tim has been a phenomenon at the collegiate level, his mechanics have been harshly criticized by NFL scouts because it falls short of the expectations for that level. Even so, Tim is a fighter and is determined to work hard and improve upon practice and an opportunity, if only someone would give that to him. I'm sure someone will, but the way he played in this game only enhanced the doubts about his potential. Out of his 23 plays, he completed 8 out of 12 passes for 50 yards and had four carries for four yards. He fumbled twice and was sacked once. Those are definitely are not near his Sugar Bowl stats, but he walked away with his head held high.
Tebow was my favorite to photograph for this game, and obviously the fans' favorite as well since his name was chanted the most out of anyone, but I made sure to spread around the focus to as many players as I could catch. Here is a play by Alabama's Javier Arenas:
Tebow about to pass:
Wisconsin's Garrett Graham tackled:
A fan of Tebow:
West Virginia's Jarrett Brown winding up for a pass:
Florida's Riley Cooper staring off in a daze during a commercial break:
Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour celebrates with a teammate aftering scoring a touchdown for the North:
Tebow interviewed after the South's 31-13 loss to the North team:
Fans flooded the field after the game for a close glimpse of Tebow. Some wanted autographs, some wanted to touch his jersey, and others just wanted him to look into their eyes. This girl here got even more when he shook her hand and smiled at her while she told him how much he meant to her:
After making it through the crowd, Tim is interviewed by the press underneath the stands. He was disappointed with the loss but took a positive outlook on it:
Once the press was finished with their questions, Tim walked up the ramp and disappeared into the locker room:
He left the same aftertaste in many people's mouths as they wondered what to expect from him next. I was one of them.
www.nwfdailynews.com
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