The coaching staff of the Philadelphia Eagles will be given the opportunity to determine the capabilities of the players on its roster in the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts and decide who will fill its 53-man team.
Many fans eagerly await the future of Tim Tebow, undoubtedly the most popular Eagles player at training camp, and want to know if he will make it to the roster. Tebow is fighting for the position of third-quarterback with the Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley.
A report by NJ.com is not so confident with the prospect of Tebow for the third-quarterback job. While Tebow, who has a sub-50 percent completion percentage in his three seasons in the NFL (35 games, 16 starts), has shown a lot of improvement, but has not shown consistent performance during practice.
But Tebow is working harder than the other guys on his team. While most of his teammates have left the field to meet reporters for interview or head to the shower room after practice, Tebow is still on the field running sprints, throwing passes, working on his new throwing motion and doing everything that is necessary to revive his NFL career said a separate report by NJ.com.
Tebow told the New Jersey Advance Media on Tuesday after another round of physically-exhausting practice, "I'm just trying to find ways to improve. In football you're always trying to find that edge. The best way to find that edge is to put in the time, the extra work. Find things you might not have done well in practice and come out here afterwards and work on it.
"I've always tried to be that way, make that my mindset. I learned from my dad at a young age how important passion is. Passion is very different than motivation or excitement. You come out here with passion, it doesn't matter what happens or what obstacle gets in your way, because you have passion. That's something real and it's something deep. Those other things, being excited, being hyped, being motivated all those things they have their ups and downs. Passion sustains you through the good times and the bad.''
The strong determination of the Heisman Trophy winner, the National Champion, the first-round draft pick, the playoff winner, has earned him the respect of fellow Eagles player, linebacker Brandon Graham, who admires Tebow's hard work.
Graham said, "Some times I get here early and Tim's in there. Some times I stay late, and Tim's still here. It's really something seeing how much he works.''
As expected from the devout Christian, Tebow attributed his strong will to Jesus Christ and God as the one who is guiding him to get back to his old glory.
"It's through your identity," he said. "The blessing that I have is my identity doesn't come just through the game of football. My identity comes in that I have a relationship with Jesus Christ and I'm a child of God. When your identity is found is something solid and not wavering, then I'm to wavering. I've said this many times I'm thankful I don't have to live that roller coaster that so many in the world do.
"I'm able to live with a purpose and passion and that gives you a freedom that you can come out here and just do your best and try to be the best you can be.''
Going into the preseason opener on Sunday, Eagles' offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said the team is trying to find ways to utilize the most popular player on their roster.
"We're not so worried about [how we'll use him schematically], because we can do with Tim, technically, what we can do with the other quarterbacks," Shurmur told Philly Voice. "So from a scheme standpoint, not that big of a difference."
