2010 NFL Draft: Tim Tebow's Patience May Be His Most Important Attribute

NFL fans, if you've already had your share of nonstop Tim Tebow talk, then be prepared to hear it for many more years to come. Even though there are many questions regarding his throwing mechanics, there is not much more to question about the Florida quarterback.

Surprising enough is that this may be the first time in the NFL's history that a college prospect has ever been talked about this much pre-NFL Draft, and Tebow isn't even projected to be a first-round pick. He may even slip to the third round.

Tebow is one of those players that probably has an equal number of fans that love him as he does fans that hate him.

Never has there been so much talk about a non-first-round pick. Throughout all this talk, everyone is focusing on "Tebow, the Passer" and everyone forgets that there are many more facets of being a quarterback besides being a fantastic passer.

The following are some of those facets:

Tebow Is a Team Player, First and Foremost

No matter what team he lands with, Tebow will be content with whatever role is given to him. Whether it's sit on the bench and hold a clipboard, run a Wildcat offense, or catch passes, he will do whatever is asked of him if it is in the best interest of the team.

Tebow Is a Competitor

As hard as it may be for him to sit on a bench and learn, Tebow will do it, even though he is a fierce competitor and wants to be on the football field.

Tebow knows his talents and abilities are an asset to his new team.

Tebow Is a Student of the Game of Football

He will study as hard, and maybe even harder than Peyton Manning, in order to learn every single nuance of the pro game to give him the best chance to be successful.

Tebow may have a questionable Wonderlic score, but that does not test instincts, which Tebow has shown throughout his college career.

Tebow Is Confident and Humble

Read any article or interview with Tebow and one can see he has a confidence level that is sky high—all without being overconfident.

Confidence is key in succeeding in anything a person tries to accomplish in life, and one would think that with all the attention and success Tebow has had in the past, he would have a cockiness to him.

Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen has that cockiness, but many teams are worried about that in his character.

The same does not go for Tebow, who is humble and wants to accomplish a lot without losing sight of how he needs to achieve those goals.

Tebow Is a Proven Winner

No one can deny what he has done at the college level.

Given the Right Situation, Tebow Can Win with Leadership

It is rare, but teams like the Ravens and Buccaneers both won Super Bowls with defense and a mediocre offense. Both teams also did not have an elite quarterback, but a leader who could effectively manage an offense in Trent Dilfer (Ravens) and Brad Johnson (Bucs).

If Tebow can land with the right team, he does not need to do it all as a top-tier quarterback in the NFL as long as he has a strong supporting cast to lead.

Hall-of-Fame Quarterback Steve Young Faced Similar Questions about Throwing as Tebow Does Now

Former head coach and Super Bowl winner, Tony Dungy, was on SI.com's The Dan Patrick Show and was asked if he was "sold on Tebow."

"I like Tim Tebow, I like what he's done, everything I've seen. He's really working on [his passing]. I heard the same things about Steve Young," said Dungy. "I think Tim Tebow's going to be a very good player in the NFL. He's a great leader, he's a winner, and you can't make too much of that."

While attending BYU, Young struggled at passing, but after working on his mechanics (he too was a lefty just like Tebow is) Young became a starter.

Once in the NFL, Young again struggled, but once he landed with the 49ers, he was under the instruction of quarterbacks coach Mike Holmgren and Young went on to have an impressive career, leading the NFL in passing six times.

Now this is a loose comparison of Tebow and Young, but both quarterbacks faced issues regarding throwing the football, and where Young succeeded, Tebow may as well.

Patience is very important for Tebow to learn and hopefully he is not too eager to get into games too soon. Even Young had to wait eight years after college in order to finally get the game of football and succeed at the level he did.

Bottom line for Tebow is to be patient and perhaps very patient in order to enjoy the type of success that he expects to have in the NFL.