This Is Not A Drill!

It was said when Tim Tebow was let go by the New England Patriots that another team asked if he would change positions. But Tebow wanted to play quarterback in the NFL, and he never did again, not in the regular season. His last look was with the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2015 preseason.

Now he’s changing more than positions – he’s changing sports.

The Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Florida, now 29 and last active in the NFL in 2012, has a tryout scheduled Friday in Los Angeles that is open to Major League Baseball teams. Yes, he wants to play baseball. And yes, teams will attend. Why not?

Maybe he can do this. Maybe he can’t – Michael Jordan tried and struggled to hit minor league pitching (and that’s really not a criticism). The question in the NFL wasn’t whether Tebow was a gifted athlete, but whether he could play quarterback at the highest level. And though he could often make things happen with his legs, his arm generally betrayed him despite constant work on his throwing technique.

Tebow has been training for a year and those who have seen him say he hits impressively. But that’s not in games and certainly not against top pitching. Nor has he played organized baseball since his junior year of high school (2004 in Ponte Vedra, Fla.) He could certainly hit then – he batted .465. But then he chose to stick with football and led the University of Florida to two national championships.

It’s never easy for an athlete to leave the stage, especially when the departure is not of his choosing. And one who works as hard as Tebow apparently has may find an opportunity of some sort.

I’d bet he doesn’t want to be a sideshow attraction in the low minors, should he be able to secure a contract.

But I am no gambler.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman