Former Gators’ QB Tim Tebow’s Advice for Fernando Mendoza Before Indiana’s CFP Title

If anyone knows a thing or two about winning a college football national championship, it is former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow. Arguably the program’s greatest player of all time, Tebow won two BCS national championships at Florida, including one as the starter to cap off the 2008 season.

While his playing days are over, Tebow has taken on the role of mentoring and advising other college football players, including Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Ahead of Monday’s national championship against Miami, Mendoza said called Tebow for advice.

“I called Mr. Tebow and a lot of my other mentors yesterday and earlier today because Mr. Tebow, he played in two national championships and has that experience,” Mendoza said in a postgame interview with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt. “… The big advice I got from all of my mentors is stay in the present moment. It’s Miami. There’s going to be a lot of emotion. Tim always said, ‘It’s going to be three hours, 12 drives, four quarters. Focus on each and every single drive. Don’t get all about the game, we gotta score 30 points here. Just focus on the next play.”

Tebow and Mendoza have received multiple comparisons over the course of the season due to their shared faith, their No. 15 jerseys and for winning a Heisman Trophy. Now the two share another similarity as national champions.

Tebow, of course, won a BCS National Championship as a backup in 2006, won the Heisman Trophy in his first season as the starting quarterback in 2007 and won another national title in 2008, which also came in Miami in the same stadium that Mendoza and the Hoosiers clinched their first title in program history.

Indiana’s title win over Miami also has other historic similarities to Florida as Curt Cignetti joined the likes of former UF head coach Urban Meyer as head coaches to win a national title within their second season, and the Hoosiers became the first first-time national champion since the Gators in the 1996 season.

After moving on from Billy Napier, who ironically is now at James Madison, where Cignetti previously coached, the Gators have tabbed former Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall to take over the program. While he has not coached a game yet, Sumrall has made it no secret that his goal is to win immediately with the program.

“I respect the Florida fan base is not patient. They want to win right now, too,” he said. “You’ve got the right coach. I’m wired that way. I’m not comfortable having a plan to win in eight years. I want to win tomorrow.”

Florida, now in the beginning stages of its offseason workout program, opens spring camp on March 3 with the spring game to be held on April 11. The 2026 season opens on Sept. 5 at home against Florida Atlantic.

More From Florida Gators on SI