NEW YORK ? Mike Westhoff, the Jets? recently retired special teams coordinator, told a Florida radio station that the way the team handled Tim Tebow was ?an absolute mess.?
Westhoff told WQAM in South Florida on Friday that he was ?very, very disappointed? in the Jets? lack of use of Tebow, the popular backup quarterback acquired last March to be a key part of the offense. Instead, the former Nease High and University of Florida star barely got on the field in most games and never started at quarterback ? even after Mark Sanchez was benched.
The quarterback tried to hide his frustration throughout the season, but Westhoff says he could see a change in his demeanor and ?that swagger that got out of him a little bit.??
Westhoff, who retired when the season ended, said of the Tebow situation:
?It was a mess. An absolute mess. I was very, very disappointed. There are things that Tim Tebow as an NFL quarterback, he?s very limited in some things. If you throw him in the middle of a drop-back passing offense, he will look very, very average at best. But if you incorporate him in different facets of your offense, I think he can be a factor. That?s what I thought we were going to do, but we never did it.?
Westhoff worked with Tebow as a punt protector ? a role that became full time after safety Eric Smith was injured ? and was impressed with Tebow?s work ethic and skills.
Westhoff envisioned Tebow would be used as a combination tight end/halfback/fullback/quarterback, and was dismayed to see that Tebow?s largest role was essentially on special teams.
So what happened to the secret offense that was supposed to be so innovative?
?To be honest, I don?t think anyone ever answered that question, ?Why did we do it?? ? Westhoff said. ?I honestly don?t know. I know we didn?t practice it; we didn?t practice it in training camp. We were going to unveil it. Well, I?m still waiting for the unveiling.
?It was a distraction, and really a shame because that?s a hardworking young man,? Westhoff said.
Tebow?s future with the Jets is in doubt. Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell on Thursday said the team will not sign Tebow if he is released.
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