Clausen’s past puts him rightfully below Tebow

About a year-and-a-half ago, it was Tim Tebow standing at the podium, pledging to push his team harder than no one ever had in the past ­— to work harder than anyone ever had. And this past Friday, it was again Tebow at the podium pledging to the world. 

Although this time, it was pledging to do something much more challenging than working hard or speaking louder — playing quarterback in the NFL.

“I love it when someone tells me that I can’t because it just pushes me that much more to accomplish that goal,” Tebow said after landing in Denver on Friday. “I am excited about this challenge of playing in the NFL and trying to be an NFL quarterback. I am truly blessed that I get the opportunity to try to accomplish that here.”

Winning the Heisman Trophy is no easy task. Winning two National Championships is a harder one. Heck, making it to two National Championships in the always-grueling SEC might be the toughest out of all of the above.
 
But right now, there is no question God’s football player has his toughest task to date at hand. With his throwing motion reconstructed after February’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Tebow now has to test it against more relentless defensive linemen, faster secondaries and harder-hitting linebackers.

Is this a testament to the arrogance of second-year Broncos coach Josh McDaniels or a testament to the firm belief within the Broncos’ personnel department that Tebow really does have the ability to be a franchise quarterback at the next level?

Whichever it is, it’s definitely not one thing — a testament to the confidence in the former heralded Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen, the blue chipper who arrived at his college commitment ceremony in a limousine back in 2006.  

There’s no doubt among scouts, general managers and coaches that Clausen is the more pro-ready quarterback compared to Tebow. There are even some minds out there that rank him as a better on-field prospect than No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford.  

But what the Broncos’ first-round selection does is solidify a commitment to off field standards. Standards that twice in his three-year college career, Clausen didn’t live up to. An alcohol transportation citation before he ever set foot on the Notre Dame Stadium turf, a bar scuffle after this year’s loss to Navy and countless jeers and shoves at opposing defenders have raised justified leadership questions among NFL executives.  

“I want to be a great quarterback for many years. That’s my goal, and it has been since I was six years old,” Tebow said Thursday night. “For the next few years, my mind-set is going to be to repay coach McDaniels for what he did for me, believing in me.”

He’d better, for McDaniels’ sake, or passing up on Clausen or another pro-style quarterback could haunt the coach and the Broncos’ organization for years to come.

There’s no doubt that Tebow is a model quarterback who needs to be on a 53-man roster come September. But risking a first-round pick on a guy who basically implemented his throwing motion after his collegiate career could be a bit out there.

“The Denver Broncos are getting a winner,” Tebow’s college coach Urban Meyer said. “Tim will show on the field what he is capable of doing.”

It almost seems that Tebow should have been in Clausen’s shoes — the Notre Dame golden boy primed for greatness and a first-round pick. But what a great story this would truly be if Tebow shows that good guys can be winners in a league as tolling and competitive as the NFL. And for McDaniels, it would be, to his credit, one of the great draft steals of all time.  

As for Clausen, the better man won. Now it’s time for him to take a lesson from the 13th disciple and get his off-field skills equal to those of his football ones.