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Tim Tebow's comeback story ends with Jaguars cutting him

(AP) — Tim Tebow’s organized team activities and
comeback and NFL career rarely dropped balls thrown
are over. his way. But once camp be-
gan and players donned full
The Jacksonville Jaguars pads, Tebow faded. It quickly
waived Tebow on Tuesday, became clear that Tebow was
parting with the 2007 Heis- less of a pass-catching option
man Trophy winner who than Tyler Davis, a sixth-
switched from quarterback to round selection in 2020, and
tight end in hopes of rejuve- second-year pro Ben Ellef-
nating his pro football career. son.

“We knew that was an uphill His blocking woes and lack
battle for Tim,” said coach of experience on special
Urban Meyer, who recruit- teams made Meyer’s decision
ed Tebow to nearby Florida. a relatively easy one.
“Players loved him, locker
room loved him, but it was “It’s special teams,” Mey-
the right thing (to do).” er said. “This whole roster
management is really critical
Tebow’s blocking ranged as we journey here through
from awkward to awful in the next two weeks. Two of
Jacksonville’s preseason the special teams phases are
opener against Cleveland on tackling, and he’s never tack-
his 34th birthday. The po- led. ... We expect to be very
larizing player went viral for be the end of Tebow’s playing the chance to have pursued a roster spots: run-block- good on special teams. Tight
two botched attempts on the career. dream.” ing specialist Chris Man- end and tailback, if you can’t
opening drive of the third hertz, fellow veteran James contribute on special teams,
quarter Saturday night, the “I would guess it is,” Meyer Tebow opened training camp O’Shaughnessy and fifth- that’s a tough go.”
second one more egregious said. “We didn’t get that deep as Jacksonville’s fourth- or round draft pick Luke Farrell.
than the first. with it. Obviously he’s his fifth-string tight end after Tebow helped Meyer and
own man, elite warrior, elite switching positions this year. Former and current NFL the Gators win two national
competitor. But he’s also 34 He was trying to return to the players criticized Meyer for championships while becom-
“He has a bunch of good years old.” NFL after spending the pre- giving Tebow a roster spot ing one of the most recogniz-
plays but can’t have a bad play vious five years in the New and pointed out a number able athletes in college sports.
at that position,” said Meyer, York Mets’ organization. He of more deserving tight ends
who spoke to Tebow about Tebow was shielded from the hit .223 with 18 home runs on the street. But many of Denver selected Tebow with
the roster decision Mon- media circus that followed and 107 RBIs while never Tebow’s teammates wel- the 25th overall pick in the
day night and again Tuesday him during other NFL stops making it to the big leagues. comed him with open arms. first round in 2010. He led
morning. and never publicly addressed the Broncos to a playoff vic-
his return after nearly six He asked Meyer for a tryout “It’s still so cool,” said quar- tory in his second season, but
Tebow also failed to record years away from the game. after retiring from baseball in terback Gardner Minshew, his long windup and inaccu-
a catch against the Browns The Jacksonville native re- January. Meyer obliged and who wears No. 15 because racy led to a short NFL ca-
and got no snaps on special sponded on Twitter and ended up giving him a one- he grew up idolizing Tebow. reer. He spent time with the
teams. Meyer said Tebow’s thanked his hometown team year contract worth $920,000, “I mean, every time I throw Broncos, the New York Jets,
play lacked consistency, es- for a chance. the minimum for a player to him, I just smile. That’s New England and Philadel-
pecially in tackling. And if with three accrued NFL sea- like my favorite thing. But phia.
Tebow were going to make “Thankful for the highs and sons. The low-risk deal in- it’s like, it’s unbelievable. You
Jacksonville’s 53-man ros- even the lows, the opportuni- cluded no guaranteed money, hear bigger-than-life stories His last meaningful game
ter, he needed to be a special ties, and the setbacks,” Tebow so Tebow had to make the about the dude and it’s all came with the Jets in 2012.
teams contributor. wrote. “I’ve never wanted to team to earn a dime. real. It’s unbelievable. Truly The Eagles cut him following
make decisions out of fear of bigger-than-life-type person, training camp in 2015, with
Meyer said he expects this to failure and I’m grateful for And that was always the un- so it’s been really awesome to then-coach Chip Kelly saying
certain part. Jacksonville en- be around him.” Tebow wasn’t good enough
tered camp with three tight to be Philly’s No. 3 QB.
ends essentially locked into Tebow flashed early during

Woman says violence by Trevor Bauer left

her in pain, fear

(AP) — A woman seeking a five-year perior Court. “I wanted him to know what
restraining order against Trevor Bauer he’d done to me.”
testified Tuesday that her horror grew
as bruises emerged and her pain surged Bauer, who has said through representatives
the day after a sexual encounter in which that everything that happened between the
she said the Los Angeles Dodgers pitch- two was wholly consensual, replied in a text
er choked her into unconsciousness and message, “damn girl, are you OK?”
punched her repeatedly.
The woman said she was just as frightened of
The 27-year-old said she sent Bauer a picture the social consequences as the physical ones,
of herself after returning home to San Diego. and was at first determined to tell no one else.

“I could not believe what my face looked “I knew how that was going to to go,” she tes-
like,” she said under a second day of ques- tified. “That situation paints me as the slut. I
tioning from her attorney in Los Angeles Su- didn’t want the story to go anywhere.”