Trump Praises Tim Tebow NFL Success ‘Despite Being on the Jets’
President Donald Trump praised quarterback legend Tim Tebow on Tuesday, but not before qualifying his kind words with a gentle swipe at the New York Jets in passing.
FOX News reports Trump hosted the University of Florida’s men’s basketball team to publicly applaud their national championship triumph early last month — and near the front of the stage was ex-Florida football standout Tim Tebow.
Trump spotted the Heisman Trophy winner and took a moment to praise him.
The president said he was a big fan despite Tebow having spent a small part of his professional career with the NFL’s New York Jets.
“And a very special thanks to the NFL legend and University of Florida. I mean, one of the greatest players I’ve ever seen,” Trump said of Tebow.
“I’ll tell you what, as a college player, maybe the best ever. And you did damn well. And you did damn well in the pros, too. He was great. Despite being on the Jets, you did damn well.”
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) speaks during a ceremony honoring the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball champion Florida Gators in the East Room of the White House on May 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Trump went on to set out Tebow’s manifest achievements while praising his personal attributes, the FOX News report details.
“He’s a terrific guy. He is a terrific guy. He’s a winner. Boy, he was a winner. You won two, right? And you almost won a third. Nobody did that. I think he goes down really as one of the best, maybe the best college football player. If you think about it, we can only base it on results, right Tim?” Trump continued.
Since taking office in January, Trump has hosted a series of championship teams, including the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles, AP reports.
FILE FLASHBACK: Tim Tebow #15 of the New York Jets looks on against the San Diego Chargers at MetLife Stadium on December 23, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Chargers defeated the Jets 27-17. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
His April ceremony in the Rose Garden with the NCAA football champion Ohio State Buckeyes is best remembered for Vice President JD Vance — an Ohio State graduate and Buckeye fan — fumbling the team’s championship trophy.
His mistake confirmed, if it was ever needed, championship trophies do not come with handling instructions (but perhaps they should) as Dylan Gwinn of Breitbart News observed.
