How significant was the moment when then-Florida coach Urban Meyer landed a commitment from five-star quarterback Tim Tebow on Dec. 13, 2005?
“It changed the history of college football in the South,” ESPN analyst Paul Network said on episode one of “Swamp Kings.”
The four-part Netflix Sports documentary series explores the Gators’ teams from 2006-10 under Meyer. Meyer and Tebow – the Heisman Trophy winner in 2007 – are the primary focus of the documentary.
What should you know about Meyer, Tebow and their time at Florida?
Was Tim Tebow a five-star recruit?
Tebow was the top dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2006, according to Rivals.com. Tebow played at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, Fla. Tebow totaled 3,302 passing yards, 31 TDs and four interceptions along with 1,163 rushing yards and 21 TDs as a senior in high school.
In “Swamp Kings,” Meyer tells the story of Tebow calling him to reveal his college decision, but the phone went dead. Fortunately for Meyer and offensive coordinator Dan Mullen, the quarterback decided to commit to the Gators.
UNTOLD REVIEW: Netflix hits high points in Johnny Manziel doc
How many national titles did Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow win?
Meyer and Tebow were part of two national championship teams at Florida.
Florida finished 9-3 in Meyer’s first season before Tebow arrived. In 2006, Tebow was a role player behind starting quarterback Chris Leak – and the Gators finished 13-1 that season and beat No. 1 Ohio State 41-14 in the BCS championship game.
Tebow would be a three-year starter from 2007-09, and he had a 35-6 record. Four of those losses came in 2007. In 2008, Tebow helped Florida return to the BCS championship game, where the Gators beat Oklahoma 24-14.
Tebow famously announced he was returning for his senior season at the Gators’ championship ceremony. Florida finished 12-0 in the 2009 regular season before losing 32-13 to Alabama in the SEC championship game.
In Tebow’s four seasons, Florida had a 27-5 record in the SEC and was 15-4 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25. Many of those games get the look-back treatment in “Swamp Kings.”
MORE: What to know about ‘Swamp Kings’ documentary
How did Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow impact Florida recruiting?
Florida’s 2006 and 2007 recruiting classes were stacked with talent, and several of those players are featured prominently in “Swamp Kings.” The 2006 class finished second in Rivals.com rankings behind USC. The 2007 class was ranked No. 1.
Tebow was one of four five-star players in the 2006 class. Linebacker Brandon Spikes emerged as the cornerstone of the defense and a team leader with Tebow on those national championship teams. Receiver Percy Harvin and offensive lineman Carl Johnson also were five-star recruits in 2006.
The 2007 class featured four more five-star recruits, including quarterback Cam Newton and defensive end Carlos Dunlap. Newton transferred after the 2008 seasons and eventually would win the Heisman Trophy at Auburn in 2010. Tight end Aaron Hernandez was a four-star recruit in the 2008 class.
“It looked like Urban Meyer and Florida were going to win the national championship ever year,” Finebaum said.
Tebow and Harvin were first-round picks in the NFL Draft, along with offensive linemen Maurkice and Mike Pouncey and cornerback Joe Haden. Florida had 27 players selected in the NFL Draft from 2007-11.
Did Tim Tebow win a second Heisman Trophy?
Tebow won the Heisman Trophy during his sophomore season as a first-year starter. He finished with 3,286 passing yards, 32 TDs and six interceptions and added 469 yards and eight TDs. This happened in a season where the Gators finished 9-4 and closed the season with a 41-35 loss to Michigan in the Capital One Bowl.
Tebow finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2008. Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford won the award, and Texas’ Colt McCoy finished second. Tebow finished fifth in the Heisman voting in 2009 – a year in which Alabama’s Mark Ingram won the award.
Only six players have finished in the top five in the Heisman Trophy voting three times:
| PLAYER | SCHOOL | YEARS |
| Glenn Davis | Army | 1944 (2nd), 1945 (2nd), 1946 (1st) |
| Doc Blanchard | Army | 1944 (3rd), 1945 (1st), 1946 (4th) |
| Doak Walker | SMU | 1947 (3rd), 1948 (1st), 1949 (3rd) |
| Archie Griffin | Ohio State | 1973 (5th), 1974 (1st), 1975 (1st) |
| Herschel Walker | Georgia | 1980 (3rd), 1981 (2nd), 1982 (1st) |
| Tim Tebow | Florida | 2007 (1st), 2008 (3rd), 2009 (5th) |
How did Urban Meyer fare at Florida after Tim Tebow?
Meyer announced his intention to retire after the SEC championship loss to Alabama, but he was persuaded to return after Florida beat Cincinnati 51-24 in the Sugar Bowl. The Gators slipped to 8-5 in 2010, and Meyer retired. He spent one year in the booth with ESPN before taking the head coaching job at Ohio State in 2012.
What is Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow’s legacy at Florida?
Meyer and Tebow helped bring national championship success to Florida – and that helped usher in an era of SEC dominance. Since that 2006 season, SEC schools have won 13 of the last 17 national championships – and Meyer led Ohio State to a national title in 2014.
Tebow was voted No. 2 on SN’s Top 10 college football players of all time in 2019 – one spot behind Walker. “Swamp Kings” features all the viral Tebow moments – from the speech after the loss to Ole Miss in 2018 and the tears shed after the loss to the Crimson Tide. While his media superstardom created resentment from teammates at times – which is spelled out in the final episode – he was considered a consummate teammate and winner at the college level.
Meyer won three national championships between stints at Florida and Ohio State, and he had a 187-32 record between four coaching stops. That .854 winning percentage ranks third all time behind Knute Rockne at 105-12-5 (.881) and Frank Leahy at 107-13-9 (.864). Meyer also dealt with health issues – he details an addiction to Ambien in “Swamp Kings” – and his tenure at Florida also was criticized for 31 player arrests. That’s more of a footnote in “Swamp Kings,” where the focus lies on the success Meyer and Tebow created in Gainesville, Fla.