Tebow to debut delivery at pro day, not combine

Opting to make a go of it in the NFL rather than retiring like former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann suggested earlier this month, former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has decided to unveil a new delivery at Florida’s Pro Day on March 17. Tebow told Adam Schefter of ESPN that he will not throw at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine this week in Indianapolis, IN, and will continue working on three- and five-step drops privately before showcasing his talents for scouts, head coaches and general managers next month.

“I’m not changing who I am or how I approach football,” Tebow said. “But there are things that I can get a lot better at – my fundamentals. I’ve never been asked to shorten or quicken my release and not have a loop in it. The changes I’m making have gone very well and it’s becoming more and more natural to me.”

Altering both his footwork and arm motion (delivery, release point), Tebow said he would have been making these changes regardless of recent criticisms he has received. “I want to get better,” he said. “I want to be around people who will push me. I will do anything to get better. Without hearing the criticism, I would have done it. It’s made me more confident, more accurate. And that’s not to say I haven’t had this type of coaching in the past. I just had different coaching than this NFL style.”

Read what Tebow’s trainers have to say about his progress after the jump!

Former NFL offensive coordinator and Georgia Bulldogs All-American QB Zeke Bratkowski, one of Tebow’s main coaches at D1 Sports Training in Nashville, TN, told Schefter that the Heisman Trophy winner and two-time National Champion is coming along rather quickly. “You’re not looking at the same quarterback,” Bratkowski said. “To say we’re 100 percent where we want ot be, no. But we’ll be more improved come pro day than we are at this point in time right now. “

Tebow will still attend the combine for medical tests, workouts and meetings, where his coaches and those that know him believe he will shine.

“His intelligence level is as high as any quarterback I’ve encountered coming out of college,” Tebow’s trainer and Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman said. “His intelligence is off the charts. After spending time with Tim, it was evident that he learned a lot of football in his four years at Florida – a lot. As a result, he has been able to quickly adapt and make corrections in his throwing motion and footwork that will allow him to get the ball out faster and improve his accuracy.”

Even though there is plenty of doubt and disbelief coming Tebow’s way, the former Gators star is confident in his ability to impress NFL higher ups when the time comes. “I’ve done this several thousand times,” Tebow said. “With continued work, I will have this down pat by minicamp. It will be like second nature. It’s not like it feels awkward to me now. I’m excited about the changes I’ve made.”

And while Tebow may not admit it, Kurt Hester, D1’s corporate director of training, believes that he is indeed motivated to prove his critics wrong. “He wants to prove, especially [to ESPN analyst Todd] McShay, guys like that, that have nothing to do with draft status, prove them wrong,” Hester told the Palm Beach Post. “He’s wanting to prove that he’s more of an NFL quarterback than people admit. It’s not like coaches listen to ESPN. They can say whatever they want, it has no bearing on his draft status. It will be nice to watch McShay kind of swallow his words.”

OGGOA will offer full coverage of former Florida Gators working out at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine Feb. 24 – March 2.

Photo Credit: Jimmy DeFlippo/Sports Illustrated