Was Tim Tebow the Best Ever?

Gather a group of college football fans together and pose the question, “Was Tim Tebow the greatest college football player of all time,” and you are likely to start the never ending argument of all time.
Those old enough will begin to bring up the names of Red Grange, Tom Harman and Charlie Trippi. The younger crowd will interject Archie Griffin and Herschel Walker.
However…lets set some ground rules: What exactly determines a student athlete, of which all college football players must be; and..what determines greatness?
Even though in recent years the term “student athlete” has become an oxymoron, to play college football you must be enrolled in a college or university and accumulate grades of some kind. So let’s tackle this issue first. Tim Tebow not only completed four years of college, but finished ahead of schedule with a grade point average far above the average. He epitomized the definition of “student athlete.” Let’s face it. Even his detractors must admit that he was the “face” of college football for his entire four year stay at the University of Florida. No one was scrutinized more, dissected more or had his every statement and move more closely examined than did Tim Tebow. Through it all his unswerving demeanor rose above the often callous cheap shots that would be aimed at his morals, ethics and quality of play.
Now…how did he do on the football field? Not bad! Two National Championships, one Heisman Trophy (and it could be argued that he should have won two, but voter backlash gave the award to the quarterback with the best stats and not to the best football player.) Was a consensus All-American and undisputed leader of his team.
Here comes the third, and possibly most important, part of the trifecta…character! His much reported off field trips to the Philippines to work with orphans, and his many other volunteer efforts on behalf of many charities, as well as his undeniable statement of faith clearly sets him apart from anyone else who ever donned head gear and eye black. He was a role model in an age when true role models are more scarce than a conservative Democrat.
Even after graduation his courage and conviction to participate in a Super Bowl ad that brought about such vitriolic attack before anyone had actually seen it showed a courage rarely found in anyone at such a young age.
So was he the best ever? I think yes…what say you?