Ryan Tannehill, Aaron Murray & Tim Tebow: The Life of A Quarterback

"“How much you wanna make a bet I can throw a football over them mountains? Coach woulda put me in fourth quarter, we would’ve been state champions. No doubt. No doubt in my mind.”"

An old fashioned dream of most American boys is captaining a football team, standing tall and proud as its star quarterback. The adulation of millions is heaped on you. You’re the Big Man on Campus.

Certainly every one among us has had that moment. One thing differently in the past goes differently, and the entire future changes. Fixation on the past is no way to progress in the future. Basically, four touchdowns at Polk High doesn’t mean a damn thing. That doesn’t stop those destined to a life of florescent lighting and business casual from daydreaming that that could have been me.

And man, wouldn’t be great to be a standout quarterback? It’s a rhetorical question. The position comes with inherit injury risk, and the quarterback is most team’s default scapegoat. However, recent developments are a reminder that it can be a pretty great existence.

Lauren Tannehill stole the show at the NFL Draft, but those who watched Texas A&M football last season already knew of her. ESPN cameramen were always doing their best WGN impression (if you watch the Cubs, you get the reference) when Lauren was at Kyle Field.

Ryan’s new team, the Miami Dolphins, are the subject of HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” Rest assured, Mrs. Tannehill will make an appearance somehow. I feel equally confident suggesting the photos of her donning Dolphin orange-and-seafoam leaked recently were done so intentionally, perhaps to generate buzz for the reality series’ return after a lockout-induced hiatus.

Miami was chosen for “Hard Knocks” after top choice and divisional rival New York balked. The Jets were an obvious choice, a veritable three-ring circus with a boisterous ring leader and the sideshow attraction that captivated a nation, Tim Tebow.

Before Tebow was the novelty act his pro career has made him, he was the best quarterback in college football (even if tales of his daring-do are now embellished). Not long after Tebow helped Florida to a national championship as its back-up quarterback, the burgeoning sports blogosphere was abuzz with photos of him alongside a UF coed.

Even after denial of Tebow’s involvement with coeds, there still exists the click-fodder linking him to starlets like Katy Perry. And keep in mind that this is a back-up. Mark Sanchez catapulted from the spotlight of Tinseltown and USC, to the bright lights of Broadway. From Song Girls to Kate Upton, Sanchez has spent his football career in good company.

The next generation of pro play callers is excelling in the college game now. And really, while the seven figure contracts aren’t there (Editor’s Note: What about in the SEC?!? #Hack), being the star college quarterback might trump the role in the NFL.

College life is surreal enough for the Average Joe. At no other time in a person’s life is he/she surrounded almost exclusively by people his/her age. It’s the doorstep to the rest of life, but even at that is the last carefree time. Think back to those days when dressing like a goon for a theme party and playing beer pong wasn’t only acceptable, it was normal. Now imagine you’re the starting quarterback at USC.

Tyler Wilson and Aaron Murray will gun it out for billing as the top SEC quarterback in 2012, and thus a likely Heisman candidacy. Wilson could come out on top in that sense, but Murray has, uh…in other ways. Link is safe for work, but links elsewhere that is not.

The rockstar lifestyle many of us thought we lived in college, the stars of football programs really are embracing. And dammit, that could have been me. I’m tall, I played sports. Nevermind my 40 could be timed with a calendar and a week of work at the computer usually requires me icing down my wrists for hours.

That could have been me. That should have been me.

OK. Maybe not.