Monday marked a major day for college football with the 2023 College Football Playoff national championship game. But before No. 1 Georgia routed No. 3 TCU 65-7 to win back-to-back titles, a pair of ESPN analysts were inducted into different halls of fame.
Tim Tebow was named as a member of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame class, while Lee Corso was inducted into the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame. Both were announced before the national championship game.
“I didn’t know that [I would be inducted]," Corso said on "College GameDay" after being told the news. "I would’ve said that at the beginning if I’d known that. It would’ve been the opening comment.”
If you missed it, here's the announcement on @CollegeGameDay.
— NSMA Sports Media (@NSMASportsMedia) January 9, 2023
Congratulations to Lee Corso and all of our winners!! pic.twitter.com/28HBbV0vrZ
MORE: Who is in the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023?
Tebow was on the SoFi Stadium field for a pregame show segment when Joe Tessitore read through the list of College Football Hall of Fame inductees. He left out Tebow's name, saving the reveal for a special moment.
After Tebow's name was finally announced, the two-time national champion and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback said he was shocked.
"Honestly, it’s just so humbling. Thank you. There’s so many people that are part of this. [ESPN analyst Dan Mullen is] such a massive part of this, the coaches, my teammates, this is a humbling reward, but this goes to all of my teammates that I got the chance to play with," Tebow said. Mullen was Tebow's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Florida and was on set for the announcement.
MORE: Georgia routs TCU in record fashion for back-to-back championships
"And it’s humbling when my granddad dreamed of getting the chance to see Florida win an SEC championship and he died before that happened, so when we were playing, we were playing for something a lot bigger than just winning or losing a game. Something that was a lot bigger than just a pigskin. You were playing for family and for relationships, for loved ones, and that’s why college football is unrivaled. It’s special for me.”
The 2023 @cfbhall class is stacked!
— ESPN (@espn) January 9, 2023
The moment @TimTebow found out he made it in his first year of eligibility was special ❤️ pic.twitter.com/hLveOM2bCT
Corso, 87, has become a college football staple with his work at ESPN. He was hired as an analyst for "College GameDay" in 1987; nine years later, he donned the oversized head of Brutus Buckeye, Ohio State's mascot, kicking off his tradition of making his major picks with mascot headgear. The former Louisville and Indiana head coach has become a Saturday morning fixture for fans.
Tebow won national championships with Florida in 2006 and 2008 and the Heisman Trophy in 2007. He finished his collegiate career with a 66.4 completion percentage, 9,285 passing yards, 88 passing touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He rushed for 2,947 yards and 57 touchdowns on 692 carries.
