

Newton is second in the nation with passing efficiency so far, with a 183.58 rating. This carried some weight against Tebow, it seemed, but watching Newton as of late you have to notice his passing is not a weakness, but a strength. At the end of the day, he got it done.Įarly this season, Newton received the same distinction that Tebow had in his career: The guy can run, but force the pass and he is beatable. Tebow had the reputation of a guy that loved to run-but he could throw. Granted, he had some great receivers around him at Florida, but he still had to put the ball where only his guys could get it, and he never tossed more than six interceptions in one season.ĭespite the misgivings about his throwing motion, he connected when he needed to and redefined the jump pass to be what we know it as today. His passing efficiency rating led the nation his senior year and he maintained a top-five status throughout his career as well. Tebow was above the 65 percent completion mark three times in his career, and in his junior year finished at 64.4 percent. Everyone focused on his ability to run and his seeming inability to throw. When he was a freshman, the one-two punch combo was Chris Leak throwing and Tebow running. Tim Tebow was not known for his amazing mechanics throughout his career as the Florida quarterback. This one statistic is not the one that gives the nod to Newton in the rushing attack, but it is Newton’s combination of speed, vision and power that makes him so unique. With a career-long run of 71 yards, Newton has far exceeded the longest carry of Tebow's career. Newton seemed to accelerate past a fast-moving Patrick Peterson. That gear is what led to his Heisman-defining moment agaist LSU earlier this year. Newton and Tebow may have the same measurable speed, but Newton seems to have a unique game speed that puts him over the top. What separates Newton from his predecessor is his speed. Eliminate those carries and his average jumps to 6.3. Keep in mind this average includes a season with the Gators where he carried 5 times for 10 yards. Newton has a career average per carry of 4.9 yards. This distinction puts Newton in elite quarterback company, considering only eight players have accomplished this feat. Newton reached the 2,000/1,000 club against Georgia with 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 rushing. In 11 games this season, Newton has done something that no other SEC player has accomplished. Tebow made the most of every carry and made sure that he pushed the ball forward. No matter what his image was off the field, the guy played hard and lights-out on the football field. What made Tebow’s running game so special were the grinding yards and the nasty streak he seemed to carry onto the football field.

That distinction is what won Tebow the Heisman as a sophomore and what carried the Gators to the National Championship Game twice in his four-year career there. Far from modest, those numbers would be good for an every-down running back. Tebow managed 4.4 yards a carry through his career. Tebow got close to 1,000 twice, but never could peak the mountain that is the 1,000-yard rusher. The only season he did not eclipse the 500-yard mark on the ground was his freshman year. Tebow had the ground game under control for much of his career. He never was a speed guy, but no one seemed to be able to stop Tebow on the 4th-and-inches play. But only in his final season did Tebow have a carry of over 30 yards.

He was a power guy that would get those tough, grinding yards. In comparing the legacies of the two, Newton seems to be pulling away with the lead with each snap, and at the end of the day Tebow won't hold Newton’s jock. Has college football witnessed the best players of the modern era back-to-back? Yes. Let the man, the myth, the Auburn legend begin. Shortly after arriving, Newton led Blinn to a JUCO national title.
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Leaving for Blinn College was a professional decision for Newton. After the 2008 season, Newton decided to take his services elsewhere. When Tebow was making headlines with emotional speeches and leading his team to national championships, Cam Newton was waiting in the wings at Florida. Tebow was a leader for the Florida Gators. The guy had a motivational presence about him. Tebow had an uncanny ability to make an offense better and even to make a team better. Then his old teammate, Cameron Newton, showed back up on the radar to stake that claim. In fact, Tim Tebow was lauded as possibly the best college football player ever. Last year, the best college football player in decades left in the first round of the NFL draft.
