Tim Tebow Interview 07/30

Courtesy NY Jets PR Department

On how the first few days of camp have gone…
I feel pretty good. Definitely ups and downs, but I feel like we’re getting better as an offense. Individually, (we’re) doing some things well. (We’ve) got to continue to understand the offense and keep learning, but I felt like it was pretty good. I felt like today went pretty well.

On if he’s getting more comfortable with the offense…
(I am) getting more comfortable by the day. I think just the plays and everything, that’s the easy part. I think it’s the adjustments vs. our defense, the checks, the audibles, and different things like that, especially when you’re going with some of the younger guys (are what’s hard). So you might be trying to get to the line of scrimmage and tell someone to do and be able to get it up and get the play off and so you just really have to know and know fast. Especially when you’re going against a defense that’s stimming and stuff like that, how our defense does. So I think it’s a great test because you’re going up vs. a defense that does a lot more, even on day four of training camp, than a lot of defenses would during a game.

On his long running play during practice…
I guess running comes pretty naturally. I’ve been doing it for a long time. But on a play like that, one of the guys got in quick so I had to step up and didn’t really have an option and then just tried to give a little head fake and then I had open room, so based on the coverage it was pretty easy and sometimes that happens.

On if today was his best day of practice…
I think you’d have to go and look back at the film. But from feeling it, I didn’t have a super lot of passes. Probably more runs in there, but I felt good. I felt pretty good about my checks and some passes. I would have liked to have one or two of the passes from skelly (pass skeleton drill) back. But for the most part I felt like I did pretty good in team and threw it pretty accurately. So I’ve got some things to improve on but I thought I did okay.

On when he’ll get some wildcat repetitions…
I’m not sure. I just think we’re still putting in the offense and trying to understand that first.

On the hardest part of camp…
I’d say the thing I’m working on most is just the offense. In that I mean, your progressions, vs. coverages, your checks, all of those things. How it all changes based on the defense. Just making good decisions and checking the ball down and certain things like that.

On if he looks forward to the wildcat packages…
I just look forward to whatever opportunities I get and whatever my role is I have fun doing anything out there. That’s just my attitude, it’s how I’ve always been. So, I look forward to whatever role I have.

On if he’s feeling comfortable with special teams…
I’m getting more comfortable. It’s still pretty new to me. What I’m doing is kind of like being a quarterback out there with all of our calls, checks, audibles, fakes and it’s pretty fun. I’m getting more used to it every day.

On the offensive line…
I feel like they’ve been doing a really good job. (The) coaches are throwing a lot on their plate early. Especially with how many fronts were going against. We’re going against pretty much every front that a line is going to block in a season already and they’re doing a good job picking it up and battling and fighting. Yesterday, especially, we had quite a few long runs that running backs were busting out and so I think that they’re doing a really good job.

On the differences between practicing against the Broncos defense compared to this year…
Yes. I don’t mean that one is better than the other. I just mean differences in our defense, (they) give you a lot of different looks, a lot of different stems, fronts, coverages, a lot of different things like that, which is awesome because as a quarterback, as an offense, very few teams you go against give you that many looks.  I think it’s great for an offense. Especially on day four. That’s what you’re going against, that’s what you’re checking off of. I think it prepares you for the preseason and then for the regular season.

On the differences between the Broncos and Jets locker-rooms…
I feel like there was really good chemistry in Denver. I feel like there’s a really good chemistry here. Obviously this is day four so it’s early. I think one of the things about a season and a team and how good you can be is how much you come together during a season. Through the ups, how you handle it, and through the lows, how you handle it. Does it bring you together? Does it pull you apart? I think that’ll be key for us. Right now, I think it’s been great. I think guys are really encouraging one another, they’re pushing one another, there’s great attitude, there’s great enthusiasm. I think that starts with the coaches and it trickles down to the players and everyone in the organization.

On his shirtless run through the rain…
(Laughter) It was funny. A few guys gave me a hard time, but honestly I don’t think anybody knew until they saw it that night on ESPN. It was funny. More than anything it was probably just Mark (Sanchez) and Greg (McElroy) giving me a hard time and then everybody else catches on after that.

On what made him run off the field with his shirt off…
That I was running and my shirt felt like 20 pounds because we had been in the rain and then I was signing autographs for like 20 or 30 minutes. I didn’t really think you all would be filming it and taking pictures.

On his improvements with throwing…
I feel like I’m improving every day. I feel like this offseason I made a lot of strides. I feel like there’s some stuff that I’m still working on. Especially with the way that we do drops and your progressions through your footwork and the timing because so much of it is the timing for our plays and our drops. So that’s something that I continue to work on, especially after practice when I get a chance to work on that as well.

On his throwing mechanics…
I’ve definitely been working on it. I hope there’s improvement. I feel like I have improved with it. I’m trying to get it quicker, more compact. Ultimately, you just want more accuracy and to get it out faster. Hopefully that’s happening.

On his relationship with Mike Westhoff…
It’s good. Coach Westhoff’s great. I mean, you talk about someone with passion. He loves what he does, and it’s funny being around someone like that. You get so excited, talking to him about special teams or just ball in general and he just gets fired up. Even walkthroughs at night or whatever it is, he just loves what he does and it’s just fun to be around someone like that, it really is.

On if there was any reluctance to start with the punt team…
Not really, he and Coach Ryan came to me with their ideas with some of the stuff and so I said I’m here to help the team-whatever I can do. So you know, I’m pretty excited about that.

On fan reactions during the first day open to the public…
I don’t really pay attention to that. I didn’t really know until someone reported it so I (heard it) but if anything I just find it funny. There will always be fans giving you a hard time.

On Coach Sparano’s criticism…
Yeah, I tried to throw the post and I was supposed to take the check down. Just trying to force the post. Had a cross that I probably should have taken that was underneath and I think making good decisions and not trying to force it deep, although I felt like we had a good shot for it. It’s not that I was throwing into coverage or anything bad, it was just hey, know the situation, this is third-and-short, third-and-medium at the time, and take that check down. We probably have a better chance to convert so let’s play the odds out there.

On Dustin Pedroia hanging Tebow’s shirtless picture in his locker…
(Laughing) Wow. Oh man, no I didn’t hear that but thanks for telling me, that’s pretty funny.

On his plans for the day off tomorrow…
Just probably get a light workout in. Probably get a run maybe, come out and try to toss it around a little bit. But for the most part just try to recover, take care of your body. I think that’s a big thing. I’ll probably watch a little film and I think there’s a lot of things that me and Mark (Sanchez) and Greg (McElroy) can learn from watching old games that Coach Sparano has been coaching different teams in Miami, with (Chad) Pennington and (Chad) Henne, and so kind of looking at game film so that might be a good opportunity to watch that kind of stuff as well.

On if he is able to go out in public…
(Laughing) I probably won’t, would probably order into the room, or go to the (cafeteria).

On if that is tough…
Sometimes it is. Just if you want to go watch a movie, the Dark Knight, or something. It’s just something you just have to think about and plan for. It’s not like I get frustrated doing it, it’s just sometimes you just want to relax and be normal because that’s how I view myself you know. So sometimes you’d just like to be able to do more normal stuff that you can’t.

On if he was able to go to church in town yesterday…
I mean, we were so busy from 6:00 am until 9:45 am so we didn’t really have too much time for that.

On if he has any plans to making that a part of his training camp experience…
Well I know we’re going to try and do a team bible study and they’re going to try to bring our Chaplin in, but I don’t think going outside has really been a plan.

On if he ever gets fazed was all of the coverage and attention…
Sometimes it does get a little comical and funny to me. But for the most part, it’s really trying not to think about it or worry about it or pay attention to it. I really just try to be myself and live as much of a normal life as I can without having any of this change who I am or what I do or why I do it, and it’s something I take pride in. It’s just not changing, especially my values, my faith, anything like that, but also just what I do and how I do it and just try to be the same person all the time. Just being someone that’s authentic and genuine and real and not someone that does one thing and in front of the cameras and does something different when I’m around teammates or not doing what I like to do, just being myself. It’s just something that I don’t want to change no matter what anyone writes about me.

On if that has been tested…
I feel it’s probably been tested out all through college and the NFL, because there was always scrutiny. People just want to find something about to write that’s negative or find something about you that they can post. There’s other things, but I just want to be who I am and not change regardless of whatever happens.

On if he has seen the shirtless video…
Have I watched it? No. What would I think? I would be like that’s me running in the rain. (laughing) I can’t tell you how many times probably at Florida or at Denver after practice I would do sprints back and forth with that and jog off the field and never think about it again, it would never get reported, but now it does. But that’s also what I mean about not changing, it’s who I am so.

On if he will stop taking his shirt off…
(Laughing) I’m not going to change that. I’m taking my shirt off. (joking)