George Kittle explains why Tim Tebow wasn’t invited to Tight End University

Jacksonville Jaguars Mandatory Minicamp
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Some of the best tight ends are gathered in Nashville this week for the first Tight End University Summit. Tim Tebow is not one of the attendees. He was not invited.

Tebow is trying to make the transition from quarterback to tight end with the Jaguars.

49ers tight end George Kittle and recently retired tight end Greg Olsen, two of the organizers of the event, joined the Pardon My Take podcast this week and explained why Tebow was excluded from the week-long event.

“So, nothing against Tim Tebow, but I found it hard to invite — I wish nothing but the best for Tim Tebow, and I hope he has a fantastic season playing tight end — but it’s hard for me not to invite a backup tight end on, let’s say the New York Giants, as opposed to inviting a guy who just started playing the tight end position because we do have limited spots,” Kittle said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “I wish I could make it so every NFL tight end can come, [so] it’s accessible to everybody. But what we tried to do this year, we wanted to pay for everything for all the tight ends that come to kind of make it a special event for all tight ends.”

Kittle added more than 50 tight ends confirmed for the event, booking up an entire hotel. Thus, there was no room at the inn for the former Heisman Trophy winner.

“If he’s on a roster this year, and he plays tight end, we would love to have him,” Olsen said. “We would love to work with him. Once he’s officially a tight end, we would love to work with him.”

57 responses to “George Kittle explains why Tim Tebow wasn’t invited to Tight End University

  1. Outstanding decision. Until he makes the roster or at least the practice squad, he is not yet an NFL Tight End. He is simply a former QB who happens to be given a unique opportunity by his former College Coach.

  2. Because it’s “Tight End University” and not “Publicity Stunt University”?

  3. OMG, Tim Tebow can’t get into the prestigious Tight End University! Seriously? This is what we are worried about?

  4. Sounds perfectly reasonable. Chargers just drafted Tre’ McKitty and I’m guessing he probably wasn’t invited despite actually playing TE for Georgia last year. So we can leave it at that, right?

  5. If I were Tim Tebow I’d make it my goal to get an invite next year. THAT would signify success. It might be one of the longest longshots of all time, but who wouldn’t want to see a guy like Tebow make the transition and be a decent, if not good, NFL Tight End? It might even make for a good movie starring the Rock! 🙂

  6. Tebow would have taken away all the attention from the other guys. But why would Tebow even want to go? He has a lot of work to do. Also, there’s a lot of jealousy when it comes to Tebow. Don’t expect everyone to love this guy.

  7. Back before all the players had the feelings of a teenaged girl, they would have these “summits” for every position every day. It was called practice.

  8. Graham Mooney says:
    June 21, 2021 at 11:57 pm
    Let’s see the list of TEs invited….
    ———-
    We probably wouldn’t know half the names. This is TE University, he mentioned inviting backups, there aren’t any star/veteran TEs here, just up and coming young ones I assume, wanting to get better. They get their hotel stay covered these dudes are on minimum salary.

  9. And Kittle will never be seen at the Nissan Heisman House, with no explanation necessary.

  10. All of the other tight ends
    used to laugh and call him names
    They never let poor Tebow
    join in any tight end games

    Then one poor financial year
    The Jaguars came to say
    “Tebow with your name recognition
    won’t you sit on our bench and sell us
    tickets and jerseys tonight?”

    Then all the other tight ends still laughed.

  11. Shouldn’t it BE for the TE who need the extra training? Not those who are already at top of the game. But it is ok. Tim has had this happen his whole life! It will be great to see what God does. GO TIM!

  12. BFD.Tebow has accomplished more in this life already.. On and Off the field than Kittle can ever hope to.

  13. If not for a spectacular catch by Demarius Thomas of the ugliest pass I’ve ever seen thrown in an NFL game Tebow would be just a footnote. Thanks Josh McDaniel

  14. I’m just sad we have to wait longer for the Tebow didn’t make the short list of HOF nominees click bait article

    BTW there are 30 other guys likely to have a better TE career than him who are also not going to be invited

  15. Tebow doesn’t care most likely. Besides, his poise & likability gives him media as a fallback plan. Most of the guys in the NFL and at the TE position don’t have that skill for a Plan B.

  16. The NFC North TE’s invited:

    Robert Tonyan- Packers

    Cole Kmet- Bears

    TJ Hockenson- Lions

    Some exciting talent at TE in the North among the top 3 teams in the division.

  17. If this was a response to a question, that was one of the most idiotic questions in the history of sports questions. I wish Tebow the best. I like Tebow. But he is not a tight end yet. He is trying to be one, and we’ll see if he succeeds.

  18. Tebow is busy putting in the hard work to be a better player so he doesn’t have time for nonsense like hosting or attending “tight end university”.

  19. tb12magicwater says:
    June 22, 2021 at 5:52 am

    Then one poor financial year
    The Jaguars came to say
    “Tebow with your name recognition
    won’t you sit on our bench and sell us
    tickets and jerseys tonight?”
    _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
    Tim Tebow, or Ronald McDonald wearing clown shoes in a Jags uniform would probably result in a TE upgrade in Jacksonville.

  20. What is the curriculum?

    8:00 – 9:00 Roll call

    9:00 – ???? Happy Hour

  21. could not care less about tim’s feelings what i do care about is was engram invited? if so please, teach him…something…anything… please

  22. The TL:DR for everyone… “We don’t want to turn our weekend into a media circus with all of ESPN and the 700 Clubs camera crews showing up and making this entire event about something that it is not”

    I don’t blame them one bit.

  23. What is Tight End University? I must have missed something. Never heard of it. A University is a place people go to learn. A guy like Kittle is already a master. I’m sure Tebow is learning at a different “University”. Jacksonville University.

  24. If Tebow had ever actually been interested in “putting in the hard work,” he would have done so to make his throwing motion resemble something other than a Dutch windmill; instead, the only hard work he’s ever done is manipulating the public into believing his carefully manufactured image, so people will ignore his obvious lack of skill and justify his continued “relevance” by declaring “but he’s a winner!”

    ——————

    Tebow is busy putting in the hard work to be a better player so he doesn’t have time for nonsense like hosting or attending “tight end university”.

  25. Olsen said it best……IF and when Tebow is an actual Tight End, he would be considered for an invitation. Right now, Tebow is just being used to hype Jacksonville and to sell jerseys and tickets.

  26. snowdood163 says:
    June 22, 2021 at 1:41 am
    Back before all the players had the feelings of a teenaged girl, they would have these “summits” for every position every day. It was called practice.
    ——————————————————————
    Best post of the week!!!!

  27. thetruthstings says:
    June 22, 2021 at 12:26 am
    He Should have been invited!!! Going to surprise a Lot of people!!!
    ————————————————————

    Good. Then he can run his own ‘QB to TE University’ next year.

  28. Graham Mooney says:
    June 21, 2021 at 11:57 pm
    Let’s see the list of TEs invited….
    =========
    This list was published by Forbes yesterday:

    The list of attendees includes Kittle, Travis Kelce, Greg Olsen, Darren Waller, Mark Andrews, Zach Ertz, Evan Engram, Noah Fant, Austin Hooper, Kyle Rudolph, Cole Kmet, Mike Gesicki, Jonnu Smith, Logan Thomas, Marcedes Lewis, Tyler Higbee, Eric Ebron, Kyle Pitts, Dallas Goedert, David Njoku, Kaden Smith, Irv Smith Jr, Hunter Henry, Chris Herndon, Hayden Hurst, Dalton Schultz, Chris Manhertz, Colby Parkinson, Blake Bell, Ross Dwelley, Dominique Dafney, Robert Tonyan, T.J. Hockenson, Charlie Woerner, Daniel Helm, Dawson Knox, Will Dissly, Luke Stocker, C.J. Uzomah, Alex Ellis, Eli Wolf, Ethan Wolf and Anthony Firkser.

  29. nolaniskeshonsdad says:
    June 22, 2021 at 7:30 am
    If not for a spectacular catch by Demarius Thomas of the ugliest pass I’ve ever seen thrown in an NFL game Tebow would be just a footnote. Thanks Josh McDaniel
    ——————————-
    Congrats on winning the Least Accurate Comment Ever Award. Great pass from Tebow. Great stiff arm and run by Thomas. But that play won the game because the safety was guarding against a Tebow run. Find the replay online, and watch Steelers #29 before the snap. Then watch him try to get back into position. And then notice the pass. If that’s the ugliest pass you’ve seen, then you haven’t watched much football.

  30. I don’t think that this is an “all inclusive” University…Right off the bat, I don’t see any latino names…or oriental…or Pacific Islander names…Any members of the LGBTQIA community…??? somebody is not going to be very happy about this. Let’s hope there are no marches and protests outside the training facilities.

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