Tim Tebow's Desire to Improve Overshadows Weak Senior Bowl Performance

Christmas came a month late and lasted a whole week for the large contingent of Tim Tebow doubters scattered across the college football landscape.

As the former Gator struggled his way through quarterback drills and practice sessions at the Senior Bowl last week in Mobile, scouts like ESPN's Todd McShay confirmed what many had thought when they saw the southpaw throw his first jump pass in Gainesville—he won't make it in the NFL.

"We cannot find a way to give him any higher than a third-round grade, and even then we envision him as nothing more than a Wildcat or short-yardage quarterback who could move to H-back,” McShay wrote.

"Overall, Senior Bowl week could not have gone worse from an on-the-field standpoint."

While McShay is right about Tebow's on-field struggles—he was just 8-of-12 for 50 yards in the game and fumbled twice—isn't there something to be said for a player with a reputation like Tebow, who many consider the most decorated college football player in history, to put his NFL stock on the line all for the purpose of improving himself?

On-field issues aside, Tebow showed the determination we've come to expect from him simply by getting off the plane in Alabama with a helmet in his hand and the proverbial weight of the world on his shoulders. Everyone, including Tim, knew that every under-center snap and every unorthodox throw would set the football pundits of the world running for their microphones and keyboards, but it seems Tebow welcomes the criticism with open arms and a touch of humility.

"I'm definitely open to improving my fundamentals," Tebow said after the game. "I think I showed that by being here. If you just watched the way I played, you could see there is room for improvement and what I need to work on."

And therein lies the legacy of Tebow. You can't and won't stop him from success.

He has an excruciatingly slow release, has never taken snaps in a pro-style offense, and is inaccurate to a troubling degree, but he won't let that keep him from playing as much football as he can to get to the next level, all while weathering the inevitable storm of critics looking his way.

The man who seemingly has it all—the Web sites, the stone-engraved speeches, and the trophies on his mantle—is willing to scratch out a Bible verse on his eye black as many times as it takes to succeed, a rare level of passion that NFL front offices must consider come April.

Tebow has a few more chances to prove the doubters wrong with his individual workouts and the NFL combine, but I wouldn't bet he'll change his footwork or throwing motion between now and then.

If there's one thing I would bet on, though, it's that Tebow will be on the practice field everyday working toward those changes, critics be damned.