For the first time in 2017, former Florida Gators and NFL quarterback turned baseball player Tim Tebow will be in spring training for the New York Mets.
Tebow, who spent part of last fall playing for the team’s instructional league squads in Florida and Arizona after signing a minor league deal with the Mets, will take batting practice and do fielding drills ahead of the team’s game against the Houston Astros.
His presence drew plenty of fans when he first arrived in Port St. Lucie last year – a combination of his fame with the home state Gators and those wanting to see if the former signal caller can make it in a new sport he hasn’t played since high school.
The 29-year-old came to fame starting in college, helping to lead Florida to two national titles before moving on to the NFL and being drafted by the Denver Broncos. Tebow hasn’t played in a regular season NFL game since 2012 and – after two failed stints in training camps with the New England Patriots (2013) and Philadelphia Eagles (2015) – he went into broadcasting before turning to baseball.
Tebow could see some action in spring training games with the Mets over the month of March – but is considered a long shot to make the team’s regular season roster.
