Why Tim Tebow Is NOT the Best Ever

How about a QB that didn't run Tim Tebow's offense but is certainly familiar with Vince Young: Matt Leinart! Huge numbers? Had them. Heisman? Check. Leinart also has two national titles to Tebow's one. Leinart was 37-2 as a starter with one loss in overtime and the second loss coming late in the fourth quarter to Vince Young and 12-0 Texas in the national title game.

So even if Tebow does win another national title and put up huge numbers and an undefeated season in doing so, Leinart will still have the better career.

The only way that Tebow can surpass Leinart is to win a second Heisman, and that would be by a hair, because anyone and everyone who saw Jason White's performances in BCS title games or Vince Young prove that he was a better player than both Leinart and Reggie Bush (no, USC fans, it wasn't Young's playing an exceptionally great game...the Rose Bowl wasn't even Young's best game that year, Ohio State was, and it was not even that much better than Young's first Rose Bowl performance) knows that any advantage that winning more Heismans gives Tebow over Leinart is small.

I place more importance on each of Tebow's TDs against LSU in 2006 than I do any Heisman.

Speaking of Vince Young, there is the issue of another QB from the Big 12 who never won a Heisman in Tommie Frazier. Honestly, even if Tim Tebow leads Florida to a 14-0 record with a consensus national title (meaning no Auburns and Utahs with a legitimate claim or argument), puts up big numbers, and wins another Heisman, he won't match Tommie Frazier.

Frazier won two national titles, both in perfect seasons. That is not all. Frazier came within a missed field goal (and very questionable officiating decisions that all favored FSU...fortunately the Cornhuskers had the class not to complain!) of winning three national titles in a row and seeing his Cornhuskers go more than three years without losing a single game.

Even that is not all. Frazier was practically a true four-year starter. He began his true freshman season on the bench, but soon won the starting job and led Nebraska to the Big 8 title, losing the Orange Bowl to FSU and Charlie Ward but more than covering the point spread to the heavily favored Seminoles and actually winning player of the game honors. Frazier also missed several games in his junior year due to blood clots.

His backup, the late Brook Berringer, had to step in during those games, and that, Gator and Tebow fans, was an actual "part-time starter" or "co-starter" arrangement.

But even with those mitigating factors, Nebraska lost five games in the four years that Tommie Frazier was there, and only one was a conference game. Frazier was the Orange Bowl MVP three years in a row, plus the Fiesta Bowl MVP. Frazier produced three undefeated regular seasons and two undefeated national title seasons, and again was a missed field goal as time expired against FSU from producing three.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?