Athletes With UF Ties Nominated for 2009 ESPYs
Thursday, June 25, 2009 | Football
Three athletes with University of Florida ties are among nominees for The 2009 ESPYs. Senior football player Tim Tebow (Gainesville, Fla.) is a nominee in two categories, while incoming freshman football player Andre Debose (Sanford, Fla.) is a nominee for the Under Armour All-America Moment. Former UF swimmer Dara Torres will be awarded the 2009 Best Comeback Award.
Tebow is a nominee for the Best Male College Athlete after winning the award in 2008. Tebow led the Gators to their second national title in the past three years and the school's third overall. He set a school record with 43 career rushing touchdowns and also set a school record with 203 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. The other nominees for Best Male College Athlete are Sam Bradford (Oklahoma, football), Matt Gilroy (Boston University, hockey), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma, basketball) and Stephen Strasburg (San Diego State, baseball).
The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback is also nominated for the Best Moment Award. Tebow addressed the media following Florida's loss to Ole Miss and promised that the Gators would be the hardest working team in the nation for the rest of the season. The team went on to win 10-straight games with an average margin of victory of 33.8 points per game and won the BCS National Championship with a 24-14 victory over Oklahoma. The other nominees for Best Moment are Helio Castroneves winning the Indy 500 and the United States swim team winning the men's 4x100-meter relay at last summer's Olympic Games in Beijing.
Debose, a wide receiver, is a nominee along with incoming LSU freshman quarterback Russell Shepard for the Under Armour All-America Moment. The duo hooked up for a 92-yard touchdown pass in the Under Armour All-American game. Other nominees in this category are Jake Bernhardt (lacrosse), Tara Glover (softball), David Renfroe (baseball), Hannah Werth (volleyball).
Torres will be awarded the Best Comeback award following her performance at the 2008 Olympics. Torres became the first swimmer from the United States to compete in five Olympics (1984, '88, '92, 2000, '08) and the 42-year old won three medals in her final appearance. She won silver medals in the 50-meter freestyle, 4x100-meter freestyle relay and the 4x100-meter medley relay, bringing her total medal count to 12 (four gold, four silver and four bronze).
Voting begins today and runs through 11:59 p.m. ET on July 11, and The 2009 ESPYs will be televised Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN HD. Fans will be able to vote online at www.espys.tv or via mobile phone at www.espn.mobi.
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