June 18, 2010

Gators commission Tebow statue to be displayed at Swamp

Just six months after he last donned the cape, the Florida Gators are set to cast Heisman winner Tim Tebow in bronze.

The statue, which will be placed in a new statue garden on the western side of The Swamp, will be a 120% scale of Tebow running the ball. As best we know, there won't be a bible verse on his eye black, although that detail seems subject to some discussion.

Tebow will be joined by two other Gator legends: Heisman Trophy winners Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel, who will be cast dropping back to pass.

"It's a chance to honor and celebrate our tradition,'' Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said. "Anytime you have that type of tradition, we want to make sure to honor it. It's something people are aware of them, obviously, but they can come and take pictures of them. And that's how you build tradition. You go to a lot of schools that have several Heisman Trophy winners and they have displays, they have statutes what have you. It's just building tradition and honoring three very special people.''

The project, funded by private booster donations, will cost $550,000.

I don't deny that Tebow is and will be a legend at UF, but is it too soon to hoist a statue in his honor? I mean, the guy's 22 years old. As Dave George of the Palm Beach Post points out, poor Red Grange had to wait 85 years for a statue at Illinois.

What do ya think? Too soon?

Posted by Kevin Donahue

Comments:

Gators commission Tebow statue to be displayed at Swamp
Just six months after he last donned the cape, the Florida Gators are set to cast Heisman winner Tim Tebow in bronze. The statue, which will be placed in a new statue garden on the western side of The Swamp, will be a 120% scale of Tebow running the ball. As best we know, there won't be a bible verse on his eye black, although that detail seems subject to some discussion. Tebow will be joined by two other Gator legends: Heisman Trophy winners Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel, who will be cast dropping back to pass.
"It's a chance to honor and celebrate our tradition,'' Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said. "Anytime you have that type of tradition, we want to make sure to honor it. It's something people are aware of them, obviously, but they can come and take pictures of them. And that's how you build tradition. You go to a lot of schools that have several Heisman Trophy winners and they have displays, they have statutes what have you. It's just building tradition and honoring three very special people.''
The project, funded by private booster donations, will cost $550,000. I don't deny that Tebow is and will be a legend at UF, but is it too soon to hoist a statue in his honor? I mean, the guy's 22 years old. As Dave George of the Palm Beach Post points out, poor Red Grange had to wait 85 years for a statue at Illinois. What do ya think? Too soon?