Eric Decker: Tim Tebow Will Be ‘a Good Teammate’

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Eric Decker and Tim Tebow played together for the Denver Broncos in 2010-11, and the veteran receiver is happy to see his former quarterback land a baseball contract with the New York Mets.

Decker feels that Tebow loves competing on the field so much that broadcasting didn’t satiate his soul.

“He’s got a good gig right now with SEC Network [as a college football analyst], and I’m sure he could do a daily talk show if he wanted,” Decker said. “But I think it’s just him being competitive and wanting to just get that fire again.

“I believe Tim has got a big heart. He’s a good person. I think his mindset is, he’s such a competitor that this is an outlet for him.”

As a college quarterback at the University of Florida, Tebow led the Gators to a pair of national championships and captured the 2007 Heisman Trophy, given to college football’s top player. In 2010, Tebow was first-round pick of Denver, where he played two seasons, and helped spearhead a 2011 Broncos playoff-run. He also had NFL stints with the New York Jets, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia Eagles.

Not a conventional passing quarterback, he had a hard-time carving a niche on the NFL level. He has spent the last couple of years working in broadcasting.

Now will take his considerable athletic skill set to the baseball diamond.

Mets spring training, should Tebow receive an invite, next year will likely see a media circus, because wherever the iconic Tebow plays, that tends to be the case.

Decker thinks Mets players need to be briefed on what to expect.

“You hope the team can talk about it prior to him showing up, so guys have an understanding of what to expect and a little bit of what you have to go through to eliminate distractions,” Decker said.

But even though Tebow is one of the most popular athletes on the planet, Decker feels he is not a prima donna and won’t expect special treatment from the Mets.

“He’s going to be a good teammate,” Decker said. “I think he will be very respectful, so that is the biggest thing, he’s not going to come in with a chip on his shoulder or ‘He’s Tim Tebow’ so here is the red carpet. He’s not that type of guy from my experience. Guys will respect his work ethic.”