Tebow might have inched past Walker

ATHENS, Ga. --- Vladivostok, Russia, is a little outside football recruiting territory, even for the Southeastern Conference.

It was in Vladivostok, however, that I purchased this beautiful children's atlas. Every word in the book is written in Russian Cyrillic. It is practically the size of a coffee table and filled with cartoonish pictures depicting icons typical of whatever region.

There are oil derricks all over the Middle East. There's an Eiffel Tower in Paris. A bagpiper standing on Scotland. Skyscrapers near New York. A teepee and cowboy in the American west.

Stepping out from what would be the Georgia-Florida state line and covering most of the Southeast United States is a football player. The ball is tucked under his arm. His helmet is red. His jersey number is No. 34.

Even in Siberia, the image of American football and the American South is Herschel Walker.

But this book was bought seven years ago. You can't help but wonder if it was reprinted today, would the helmet be orange and the jersey be No. 15?

There is an argument to be made whether Florida quarterback Tim Tebow has eclipsed Herschel Walker as perhaps the greatest collegiate football player in history. It's pretty safe to say that if you were carving college football's Mount Rushmore (which oddly didn't make the cut over cows and a pig to cover the Dakotas in my Russian atlas), Herschel and Tebow would both be in the picture.

"I think they are both legends," said Georgia coach Mark Richt, a collegiate peer of Walker and a frustrated tactician against Tebow. "One is still playing and the other one of course hasn't played in quite some time. There is no question that Tim Tebow has made his mark on Florida football, on Southeastern Conference football and on the entire nation. He'll be one of those guys who will be remembered as long as people care about college football. Herschel is the same way."

Here are two guys who will long be remembered by one name. Here are two guys who arrived at their respective colleges already carrying mythic reputations and expectations. Here are two guys who exceeded the hype. Here are two guys who maintained a humble quality in the face of constant adulation.

There may be no two collegiate athletes in the modern era whose resumes mesh so closely. And as blasphemous as it is to say in the middle of Bulldog Nation, Tebow may have the upper hand for all-time status. Quarterbacks often do.

Herschel won one national title. Tebow has two (one as the starter) and holds pole position for a third.

Herschel won one Heisman Trophy and arguably should have had two (sorry George Rogers). Ditto Tebow with another campaign still undecided.

Now Tebow and Herschel have collided statistically. Tebow tied Herschel's SEC record for career rushing touchdowns with his 49th last Saturday against Mississippi State. He'll have the opportunity to break it this week against Walker's own Bulldogs.

"It has been an honor to even be mentioned with Herschel," said Tebow on Monday of the fellow legend he met at the Heisman Trophy presentation last year. "It is very humbling and I'm sure when I sit back and think about it I'll realize how cool it is. To be able to break the record against Georgia would be extra-special."

If you're able to take emotion and rivalry and rooting interest out of the equation and look at the big picture, you realize you are witnessing another very special player. It was that way nearly 30 years ago when Herschel burst upon the scene in an era before media saturation.

"From my era it was Herschel Walker," Florida coach Urban Meyer said last week. "I don't want to say it too publicly, but you were in awe of him. And here's Tim Tebow, a guy I get to see every day, and you mention him in a rushing record in the same sentence with Herschel Walker? That's pretty powerful."

This conversation even got Meyer to admit that in high school he was a huge Georgia football fan for one reason only -- Herschel Walker. "Like, nuts about him," the Gators coach said.

Life in the 24-hour media world has been nuts around Tebow since the day he arrived. The overwhelming fascination about his too-good-to-be-true life and competitive story invites backlash, which is the only explanation why he didn't win a second consecutive Heisman Trophy last season despite getting the most first-place votes. His delivering on a midseason championship guarantee after the Gators' lone loss was epic. That any voters could possibly pick him lower than second was outrageous.

But bias against freshmen may have aced Walker out of the Heisman. And who knows what he might have done had he stayed for his senior season.

"You could get bogged down all day about who's the greatest," said Buck Belue, Georgia's quarterback during Walker's freshman season when the Bulldogs won the national title.

"I think the way they've represented college football and their teams has been second to none. I don't see how any other college football players could have done more than these two guys have done in a positive way and with such grace and respectability. With Herschel it was never about him and it's the same way with Tim."

What both Herschel and Tebow possess is an aura that they brought with them and frankly never goes away. Each of them showed up at their respective college choices on recruiting trips and got standing ovations at basketball games. Herschel had people following him around campus just to be in his presence. Tebow roams the world and visits prisons preaching his faith.

Both guys brought what may best be described as freakish skill to their positions. Even Earl Campbell and Bo Jackson weren't built like Herschel, who attributed none of his speed and strength to traditional weight lifting. The high school valedictorian at Johnson County seemed to be chiseled as-is by the hand of God.

Now here comes Tebow, who is unique even in the age of running quarterbacks. He plays the position with a powerful style unlike anyone else and has proven to be an unparalleled leader. He runs like a fullback yet holds the highest passer rating in conference history. He's already passed former Gator Danny Wuerffel for the SEC record in touchdown responsibility (124 and counting).

Even diehard Bulldogs with any sense of reason don't dismiss the merits of the comparison.

"There's definitely a valid argument for (Tebow) to be compared with one of the greatest players who ever played not only SEC but college football," said Georgia's current quarterback, Joe Cox. "He's a great player who's done things nobody has ever done before."

So who's the greatest? It probably depends on what precinct is voting.

"I don't know how you separate the two," admitted Belue, who claims they'd be ranked 1 and 1a depending upon which side of the fence your allegiances lay.

"At least in the South, the legend of Herschel and the legend of Tebow will be talked about for a long, long time."

The vote from the Russian judge is still pending.

Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.