The Jacksonville Jaguars cut Tim Tebow on Tuesday, as the Heisman Trophy winner hinted this could be the final chapter of his the long multisport career.
The 34-year-old athlete’s departure came in a routine set of roster moves announced by the Jags at 10:28 a.m.
The one-time star quarterback with the Florida Gators had last played football in September 2015, just before he was cut at the end of training camp by the Philadelphia Eagles.
That sent him on a five-year minor league baseball career, reaching the triple-A team of the New York Mets.
After retiring from baseball earlier this year, Tebow tried to make a comeback, this time as a tight end, playing under his former college coach, Urban Meyer, who is now running the sideline in Jacksonville. He played briefly in the Jags’ first preseason game this past Saturday.
A grateful Tebow thanked the Jags “and everyone who has supported me in this journey.”
“Thankful for the highs and even the lows, the opportunities, and the setbacks,” he said in a statement.
“I’ve never wanted to make decisions out of fear of failure and I’m grateful for the chance to have pursued a dream.”
The deeply religious athlete quoted from scripture: “And we know that … God works all things together for good.”
Tebow was one of college football’s most famous players, winning the sport’s highest honor, the Heisman Trophy, in 2007 and leading the Gators to national titles in 2006 and 2008.
But his strengths in college, as a rugged dual threat as a passer and runner, didn’t translate to NFL success. His only regular-season action came in 2010 and 2011 with the Denver Broncos and 2012 with the New York Jets.
His habit of kneeling to celebrate a successful play became known as “Tebowing.”
Despite that lack of on-field success, Tebow remained one of the sport’s most well-liked and divisive figures.
He won legions of fans as a devout Christian who steered clear of any off-the-field missteps that have plagued so many pro athletes. Critics opined that he was given nonstop opportunities that were not afforded to other athletes.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
