Tebow: I’m ready for the shots

Associated Press

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.

Tim Tebow is ready for the shots, both on the football field and in the locker room.

The two-time national champion from Florida practiced with other rookies Friday in advance of the start of the Denver Broncos’ training camp and said he couldn’t wait for the hard hits.

Tebow, the 25th pick in the NFL draft, is fresh off putting his signature on two contracts, one of them a five-year deal to play for the Broncos and the other a multiyear deal to serve as a pitchman for Jockey underwear.

Beyond the usual rookie ritual of carrying veterans’ shoulder pads and maybe grabbing them a cup of coffee or a sandwich, Tebow knows he’ll be catching a good amount of grief for his endorsement of the tighty whities.

“A few people have said a few things to me about it,” Tebow said with a hearty chuckle. “Actually, Coach McDaniels was the first one to say something to me.”

So, what did Josh McDaniels tell his prized pupil?

“I told him they passed on me for him,” McDaniels cracked. “I turned it down.”

Tebow said he was relieved to have a contract in hand so he could finally practice with the Broncos, who were still negotiating Friday with their other first-round draft pick, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.

Tebow said it felt good to work up a sweat again during the one-hour workout at Dove Valley but what he was really looking forward to was getting hit again.

Although he’ll don the red no-contact jersey along with starter Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn when camp starts Sunday, Tebow will get a taste of NFL hitting early on because the coaches are eager to see if they can have him run the ball like he did in college.

He won’t be blasted by his own teammates; that kind of contact won’t come until the preseason.

“It may be a negative of mine, that I look forward to that and I’m a quarterback, so you kind of have to stay calm,” Tebow said. “But it is fun once Sunday gets out here and everybody is hitting. I’ll get excited too.”