The similarities are obvious.
Taylor Martinez has an awkward throwing motion, critics say. So does Tim Tebow. I can’t help but compare the two.
Nebraska’s starting quarterback found himself in a similar situation as the former Florida Gator leaving high school. Is he a quarterback or just an athlete?
While Martinez’s rushing yards in his first two years as a starting quarterback outdo Tebow’s first two years starting, passing yards and touchdowns are where the two separate. I’m not arguing that Martinez is as good as Tebow or that he’s even cut from the same cloth. I’m arguing that since Tebow left college football two years ago, nobody has gotten the “Tebow Treatment” worse than Taylor Martinez.
The Tebow Treatment is the exhaustive sigh fans make when a quarterback takes a sack or throws a bad ball. It’s the over-the-top dramatic whine you hear from Monday morning quarterbacks around the water cooler wondering “if he had just thrown it away…” or “if he had just ran it out of bounds…”
Albeit, by taking a job as a starting quarterback at a major college football program, Martinez should have known what he was getting himself into. However, while Tebow gets all of the praise for fourth quarter comebacks and killer stat lines, Nebraska fans don’t do the same for Martinez.
It’s the Rex Burkhead show.
Never mind the 24 yards Burkhead had in the second half of Nebraska’s loss to Northwestern. While Burkhead, Nebraska’s fan favorite, was struggling, Martinez was busy trying to bring the Huskers back from the dead. He almost pulled it off, but Husker fans didn’t knock on Burkhead. Most of them barely acknowledged Martinez’s efforts.
Let’s not forget Martinez’s stellar game against Oklahoma State last season. He out-dueled Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden for the best completion percentage of his career.
Then there’s the comeback. After trailing Ohio State by 21 points in the third quarter, Martinez kept his cool and led the Huskers back to a win, passing for two touchdowns and running for one.
Despite all of the times Martinez has bailed Nebraska out, a quick survey of Memorial Stadium will show you that Husker fans are still mixed about the quarterback. Even after winning the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year award in 2010, fans were begging for redshirt freshman Brion Carnes.
While the Tebow Treatment is worsening at Nebraska, it is also worsening for Tebow himself in Denver. Although Tebow is 7-2 as a starter, fans and media are far from proclaiming him a legitimate starting NFL quarterback.
Maybe it’s the throwing motion, or maybe it’s the rushing element to Tebow’s and Martinez’s games, but there is something taboo about a rushing quarterback with a non-robotic throwing motion that makes sportswriters and most fans hurl.
There’s one thing you can’t argue, and that’s the win column. At least with Tebow, Denver fans are appreciating the wins their quarterback has gotten them, even if they aren’t necessarily in it for the long haul.
On a team whose backup quarterbacks were Zac Lee, Cody Green and Carnes, Martinez was the best available player, and did a good job under pressure. Maybe it’s about time Husker Nation gives a little props to Martinez for a job well done.
By Chris Peters