The last time he played in Columbia, South Carolina, in 2009, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow tied the SEC touchdown record in a 24-14 win over the South Carolina football team.
This time, USC students will be happy to see him.
The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner will return to the capital city to begin his professional baseball career with the Columbia Fireflies, the Class A affiliate of the New York Mets.
“I remember we never looked forward to playing Florida when he was starting because we knew it was going to be a challenge,” second-year pre-pharmacy student Savannah Stewart said. “But I was super excited to hear someone so widely known to be coming to Columbia.”
Fireflies President John Katz believes the former Denver Broncos quarterback will draw a variety of fans to Spirit Communications Park.
“Tim Tebow will bring major excitement and national attention to the Fireflies and city of Columbia,” Katz said. “Baseball fans, sports fans and Tim Tebow fans will likely come from around the southeast to see him play.”
Prior to signing with the Mets on Sept. 8, Tebow had not played organized baseball since his junior year at Allen D. Nease High School in 2005. The 29-year-old played in three Mets’ instructional league games and hit a homerun in his first at-bat. He also played in 19 games in the Arizona Fall League, batting .194 (12-for-62) with two RBIs and eight walks. Most recently, Tebow has been playing in the Mets’ spring training games in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and will continue playing until the first week of April.
Tebow is one of four Heisman Trophy winners to play professional baseball, joining Bo Jackson, Ricky Williams and Chris Winkie.
While most students are excited to witness Tebow play in person, some are not sure how successful the two-time BCS National Champion will be on the baseball diamond.
“I’ve never liked Tim Tebow, so I don’t particularly want to see him succeed, but either way, I don’t think he will,” third-year broadcast journalism student Kayla Pace said.
The Fireflies’ opening weekend is April 6-9 and many students are planning to make time for “Tebow Time.”
“I do plan on going to opening weekend,” third-year public relations student Christopher Dobbs said. “I will attend so many games just to watch him as a player. He will draw a crowd for the Fireflies and the city of Columbia.
“In the MLB the team just needs to give him a chance, just like everyone else,” he said.