Chip Kelly is one of the few current coaches to take a chance on Tebow, and one former Hall of Fame coach would take a chance as well. That coach is legendary Bears icon Mike Ditka.
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Ditka appeared on 97.5 FM The Fanatic Thursday morning and discussed the upcoming Eagles season. The conversation naturally shifted to Tebow and Ditka gave high praise to the quarterback.
“If I was coaching today I would acquire Tim Tebow, too,” he said. “I’d find places to use him on my football team. I think players like Tim Tebow are good for sports. Good for football. Good for our country.
“He has character. You can’t buy character. A lot of people say they have it, but they don’t when it comes down to the nitty-gritty. You’ve got a guy right there who will be there right til the end. I’m not saying he’s the most talented guy. But, you can get a lot of productivity out of him in some areas. I think Chip will use him properly. That’s all.”
Tebow does have a unique skill set. His skills as a pocket passer have been highly criticized, but he’s proven to be an effective option running the football. He can run the read-option and be useful in certain situations. Ditka realizes this, and believes Kelly does too.
“There’s always a place on your football team for character. You’re gonna have a lot of spots on your team that don’t have it, so you can afford to keep a guy that has that kind of character. If the game of sport is all about talent, you have to have people that are good in a lot of areas.
“I’m not saying you can win a championship with a guy who is a marginal passer, but I think he has the talent. If I was Chip, I would find out what that talent is. I know what he’ll do … He’ll try to use him. He’ll try to use Tebow to the way he can best help the Eagles.”
It appears Kelly already realizes Tebow’s potential. ESPN’s report states the Eagles coach is impressed by the quarterback’s running. That area of his skill set was put on display during the preseason when Tebow ran in a touchdown.
He could be useful during two-point conversion plays since new rules moved the PAT back. If nothing else, Tebow has already proven to be great at stopping fights.
