Tim Tebow Hired by ESPN as SEC Analyst, Has Hopes to Return to NFL

Jun 03, 2014 02:14 PM EDT

Tim Tebow
Former NFL player Tim Tebow arrives at the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscars Party in West Hollywood, California March 2, 2014. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok

Tim Tebow was recently hired to co-host "SEC Nation," a joint ESPN-SEC network which is scheduled to air on Saturdays beginning in August. Tebow, who has not played in a regular NFL season since 2012, is still hopeful that he will be signed as a quarterback in the future. "I'm training every day and feel like I'm the best that I've ever been," he told The Tennessean recently.

Tebow was hired by ESPN to be an SEC Network analyst alongside Marcus Spears, Paul Finebaum, and Joe Tessitore. "SEC Nation" is scheduled to air on Saturday mornings, and will highlight the most competitive SEC match each week. Tebow says that the network will be unique, since each of the teams in the conference have a passionate following. "[The SEC] is different because of its passion, its tradition and the love for all of the teams; the good ones, the bad ones, it doesn't matter ... that's different from every other conference," he says - "It's fun to be a part of that. I've been a part of it my entire life."

Tebow also says he's excited about the prospect of reentering the NFL in the future. The first-round draft pick in 2010 and 2007 Heisman Trophy recipient played in the NFL for about three years after graduating from University of Florida, but was released from the New England Patriots last preseason. NFL.com's Chase Goodbread comments that though Tebow has athletic prowess, he would need to have better accuracy in order to succeed as an NFL quarterback. The twenty-six-year-old has not given up on his dream, however, and continues to train rigorously to improve his skills at quarterback.

"I still love it, love playing, talking about it, and I'm just excited about whatever the future holds," Tebow says - "Who knows what could happen? But I'm excited about it, though." In the meantime, the former NFL player has been actively sharing the Gospel, hosting charity events, and training to improve his skills.