In 2010, Tim Tebow ended a very successful career college career with the Florida Gators and was selected by the Denver Broncos with the 25th overall pick in the NFL Draft. All this led to Tim Tebow being the No. 3 most influential athlete on Forbes' 2010 list. Will he succeed or won't he in the league? Can he adapt to the tougher league?
We never received any definitive answers to that in 2010, as he started just three games. But 2011 could be his year to answer those questions. As such, the 2011 Forbes list drops Tebow seven spots to No. 10.
Here's how these rankings are determined:
E-Poll and Nielsen Media Research surveyed over 1,000 adults as to the athletes they considered influential, while also assessing their likeability and awareness level. [...] In short, has the player raised interest in the sport he plays?
Tebow fell in all three of those categories. His influence dropped eight percentage points, his awareness dropped to below 20 percent and his likeability fell from 59 to 44 percent. Added in 2011 was a dislike category, which came in at 13 percent. That likely comes from people who believe he won't succeed in the league and think the attention given to him is not warranted.
Still, that he ranks with Tom Brady, Troy Polamalu and Peyton Manning may not last much longer. Being the Broncos' starter in 2011 will be one step toward maintaining "influence" in the league like the other NFL players on the list.