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Heisman pressures could tackle Tebow

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Also by Mike Ackerstein:

Wisconsin hits road for Milwaukee (December 12, 2007)
Heisman pressures could tackle Tebow (December 10, 2007)
Wisconsin's home streak dead at 28 (December 10, 2007)
Poor ball control haunts Badgers (December 10, 2007)
Badgers put on show against Terriers (December 4, 2007)

by Mike Ackerstein

Monday, December 10, 2007

Tim Tebow was named the Heisman Trophy winner Saturday night, becoming the first sophomore in history to earn college football's top individual honor. The Florida quarterback, who already owns a national championship ring, edged out Arkansas running back Darren McFadden — a candidate many thought was also deserving of the trophy as evidenced by his close second-place finish.

Still, the actual winner and loser of the presentation may not be so simple to determine just by looking at who earned the most votes.

For Tebow, the award is likely to bring just as much pressure as it does pleasure, a burden that the runner-up McFadden will never have to deal with.

To the winner, it's hard not to consider the path taken by recent Heisman winners, especially those at the quarterback position. Anytime you join an exclusive club that calls a motley crew of NFL backups and rejects like Eric Crouch, Chris Weinke, Jason White and Troy Smith members, you've got to take a step back and ask yourself a question, what am I in for?

Tebow, whether he likes it or not, will now hear the words "Heisman Trophy winner" before his name for the rest of his life. For his entire playing career, no matter what he accomplishes — or doesn't accomplish — Tebow will always be remembered, at least partially, for winning the most recognizable award in his field. It's a legacy that will be difficult to live up to.

It'll start in this year's Capital One Bowl and continue on to next season. Tebow will once again quarterback the Florida Gators, who will most likely enter the season as one of the top teams and a contender for the national championship. In addition to facing the pressure of going undefeated, Tebow will also be expected to contend for a second Heisman, a feat accomplished only one other time in history.

It won't stop with next season, though. After he spends the year hearing debates about whether or not he will go pro, Tebow will actually have to make the decision. Face another year of immense pressure at the collegiate level or make a jump to the pros and sweat out his projection as a likely top 10 selection?

Once in the NFL, the one-time Heisman winner will have to wait for a chance to play and for a chance to prove he was more than an outstanding college player. Sure, recent winners Carson Palmer and Reggie Bush have proven that they belong in the league, but both still face extreme pressure to be not just a good player, but a great one after being the best in college.

At the trophy celebration Saturday night, Tebow was congratulated by his idol and the last Gator to win the award, quarterback Danny Wuerffel. By all accounts Wuerffel is a pretty good guy, evidenced by the immense amount of charity work he's done in New Orleans post-Katrina. However, does Tebow really want to follow a guy who earned the nickname "Danny Worthless" when it comes to the NFL?

Former USC quarterback Matt Leinart took a similar path to Tebow's. After winning the trophy and the national championship as a junior, the Trojan quarterback saw the award go to teammate Reggie Bush the next season, while USC fell in their quest to win a second championship when Texas beat them in the Rose Bowl.

Now Leinart, who dropped from a potential No. 1 pick after the winning the award to the No. 10 pick after staying in school, finds himself in a battle for playing time with Kurt Warner. Granted Leinart still has plenty of time to prove himself, but there's no denying the increased expectations after winning the trophy.

Meanwhile, Darren McFadden, assuming he foregoes his senior year and makes the leap to the NFL as expected, will never have the pressure of living up to the most prestigious award in college football, and perhaps all of amateur sports.

No, the phrase "Walter Camp winner" almost never precedes anyone's name even though it could go before the runners-up to Weinke and White in their respective Heisman campaigns, as well as NFL stars Larry Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald.

McFadden won't have to play with the weight of a trophy on his shoulders, but rather a chip on it, a motivating tool that will forever be there to propel him to prove just how good he is. Remember, Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson and Vince Young all finished as runners-up as well.

Whether he knew what he was getting into or not, Tebow now has a Heisman Trophy to his name. Darren McFadden does not.

That much is fact. As for who really won Saturday night?

Well, that's still unclear.

Mike Ackerstein is a sophomore majoring in political science. If you think Matt Ryan got robbed of the award, are looking forward to the lifetime of Eric Crouch references Tebow inevitably faces or are just really going to miss Smack Talk over the break, he can be reached at mackerstein@badgerherald.com.

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Anonymous (December 10, 2007 @ 10:11am):

Very good well thought out article. The curse of the Heisman!

U.S.C. Fan

Anonymous (December 12, 2007 @ 4:25pm):

From what I've seen of Tebow, whether he becomes a great NFL quarterback, or follows Wuerffel's path from NFL flop to a career in community service, he will be happy either way.

Many college football stars would consider themselves a failure if they didn't make it in the NFL.

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