On Aug. 9, ESPN reported that former NFL Denver Broncos and New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow was set to hold a workout for Major League Baseball teams later this month, aiming to pursue a career in professional baseball. Few athletes have been able to transcend a career in one sport to compete in another, but Tebow wants to join the list long after his prime in professional football, specifically his days as a Florida Gator.
As Tebow prepares to hopefully revitalize his career with a stint in baseball, we couldn't help but wonder: What if he switched to esports instead? How would he compare to some of the esports athletes who are past their prime?
We take a look at five esports athletes who have had similar paths to Tebow: they have been on top of it all at one point, but their recent results have been less than stellar.
Christopher "Zuna" Buechter
Looking at the field of esports, there's one athlete who has successfully switched games, though arguably not as well as expected. Team Naventic flex player Christopher "Zuna" Buechter was at the peak of North American League of Legends on Vulcun years ago, before switching to Heroes of the Storm after leaving the League scene. His transition has been OK, but it's clear that he's beyond his prime as an esports athlete, most recently winning third/fourth at the 2016 ESL North America Fall Regional Championship.
Tebow's fast hands could make him a good Heroes of the Storm player, a game which is often considered easier than the other multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs). And with a little bit of luck, he could be better than Zuna at the game.
Chae "Piglet" Gwang-jin
Once a World Champion, Team Liquid Academy AD carry Chae "Piglet" Gwang-jin is not only beyond his prime, he's tired out, too. Piglet's career peaked at a 2013 World Championship win on SK Telecom T1 K, the team led by superstar young-gun mid laner Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok. Like Tebow, who took home two college football national hampionships in 2007 and 2009, Piglet won it all when it mattered most in 2013.
But unlike Tebow, Piglet didn't win MVP, or in Tebow's case, a Heisman Trophy. And most recently, Piglet expressed that he was burned out on League of Legends, moving to Team Liquid Academy in the Challenger Series from the organization's main squad, Team Liquid.
Could Tebow dominate League of Legends, a game that is one of the most popular esports? Probably not, but given Piglet's current state of play, it's certainly possible that he could challenge the former Korean star's skill set.
Adam "friberg" Friberg
Ask any long-term Counter-Strike fan what team they remember the most, and while some will say Fnatic, many take to the likes of their Swedish counterpart Ninjas in Pyjamas. At the helm of the team and most of its memorable moments in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is Adam "friberg" Friberg. But friberg's seen better days after his four years of play on the team.
Tebow, a quarterback, could potentially excel at Counter-Strike: Global Offensive if he trained up. One of the most important traits of players is their muscle memory and how they control a gun's spray, movement and accuracy. Put Tebow's throwing arm to the test, and it could be a match made in heaven; Tebow could be the next Counter-Strike star.
Henrik "Froggen" Hansen
The former king of the European mid laners, Henrik "Froggen" Hansen's last few seasons in League of Legends have ended in either seventh or relegation. Once a star on Counter Logic Gaming Europe, Evil Geniuses and Alliance, Froggen's legacy and name still resonate with fans around the world, despite his skill dropping off heavily since his glory days.
Froggen may just be the Tebow of the League of Legends scene. Once Tebow moved to the NFL, things fell off harshly, akin to Froggen's move to North America at the end of last year. But like Tebow, Froggen has had his moments where he brings his team out of the mud. However, he has also had his bad moments.
The real question, could Tebow play Anivia? And if the answer is yes, he could be the next star mid laner of Rick Fox's team Echo Fox.
Mohamad "m0E" Assad
Thank god Mohamad "m0E" Assad finally stopped playing. A well-known Counter-Strike: Source and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player, streamer and now manager, m0E's best moments are certainly behind him.
The Echo Fox Counter-Strike general manager matches Tebow in theatrics on his stream, although his polarizing persona is on the opposite end of the spectrum (Tebow is a loud and expressive man of faith, while m0E is a well-known rager). And, like replacing friberg, Tebow could probably play better than m0E did in his final days with Echo Fox as a player.