Greg McElroy recalls using comparison with Gators' QB Tim Tebow as motivation for the 2009 SEC game: "I took that personally"

Greg McElroy was there at the very beginning of the Nick Saban dynasty in Alabama, which has now spanned 17 years. McElroy had a point to prove on Dec. 5, 2009, against opposing quarterback Tim Tebow of Florida.

When legendary coach Nick Saban joined the Crimson Tide, the Gators were the dominant force in the Southeastern Conference. Florida had won two of the last three conference titles, but Alabama and Greg McElroy stood in its way.

The previous season, the Gators had brutally ended a perfect season for the Crimson Tide in the SEC championship game 31-20 and gone on to win the BCS national championship.

McElroy, now an ESPN analyst, recalls that the school used that loss as fuel for the 2009 game. The Gators were strong favorites for the matchup as Eastern Division champions and reigning BCS national champions.

“A lot of people didn’t really give us much of a chance,” McElroy said on "The Volume" in July 2022.

He recalled what motivated him personally to his best-ever game:

“They said the rosters are comparable, the one difference being the quarterback spot where Florida has a massive advantage. So I took that personally and I had one of the best games of my career that night, as well."

McElroy threw 12 for 18 for 239 yards resulting in one touchdown and was named the game's MVP.

Ironically, three years later, Tim Tebow and Greg McElroy ended up as teammates at the New York Jets. They both had an underwhelming time there, and their NFL careers fizzled out after that.

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Greg McElroy and the start of a dynasty

Greg McElroy was part of a subpar Alabama team when he joined in 2007, but by the end of his time there in 2011, they had kicked into another level and reached new heights.

McElroy was the quarterback when the Nick Saban era really clicked into gear. In 2008, the Crimson Tide had a perfect 12-0 record and, for the first time in 28 years, were considered No. 1 by the major polls during the regular season.

Although they lost to the Gators in the 2008 SEC championship game, the Crimson Tide avenged that defeat in 2009 when they beat the favorites 32-13.

"It was a really special night, and I think it was a statement to all of college football that there was a new sheriff in town," McElroy recalls in the interview.

They then went on to beat the Texas Longhorns in the BCS national championship game, Saban's first of six in Alabama.

Nick Saban summarized the situation for the Alabama Crimson Tide fans after the win:

"I want everybody here to know, this is not the end. This is the beginning."

Tim Tebow and Greg McElroy both won national championships, but their NFL careers would go on to be underwhelming, considering the hype they commanded before that fateful game.