Gruden spends day tutoring NFL-hopeful Tebow

Jon Gruden's winter tutorial with the top quarterback prospects in the 2010 NFL Draft rolled on Thursday when Florida's Tim Tebow arrived in Tampa for a strategy session in Gruden's office and a private workout at Carrollwood Day School.

Tebow started the day with a visit to Gruden's office, where the former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers used a grease board to diagram formations and prepare Tebow for the complexities of NFL defenses. In the afternoon, Tebow and Gruden hit the practice field to work on his throwing mechanics two weeks before Tebow works out for NFL executives in Gainesville at Florida's Pro Day.

"I love quarterbacks and today I had a blast," Gruden said. "How can you not root for Tim Tebow? He's a courageous, competitive, play-making, undeniable force. I think he's going to be a great success."

Despite blustery conditions, Tebow wore a tank top to throw passes to receivers, including Gruden's son Deuce.

"It was wonderful," Tebow said. "To be able to spend a day with Coach Gruden was a lot of fun. He's got a passion and love for the game that's unrivaled."

Gruden has had similar sessions in Tampa with two other highly regarded quarterback prospects, Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen. Colt McCoy of Texas is expected to visit Tampa this month for a meeting with Gruden, who just completed his first year as an ESPN analyst on "Monday Night Football'' broadcasts.

An ESPN crew has been filming all the sessions in advance of a one-hour special the network plans to air a week before the draft begins on April 22.

Tebow, 22, won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore and posted a career passer rating of 164.17 during four seasons in Gainesville. The 6-foot-3 left-hander threw 88 touchdown passes and ran for 57 scores, but some NFL scouts are skeptical Tebow can succeed as a quarterback at the pro level.

At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last week, Tebow acknowledged he is tinkering with a throwing motion that has been criticized by some pro scouts as too slow, low and mechanical. Before the combine, Tebow worked on his mechanics with former NFL head coach Sam Wyche and ex-NFL quarterback Zeke Bratkowski.

As a Gator, Tebow excelled in the shotgun formation preferred by head coach Urban Meyer. Gruden worked with Tebow on footwork and the intricacies of the center-quarterback exchange, preparing Tebow for the different demands of the pro game when working under center.