While Sporting Club Jacksonville is bringing top-level professional soccer to the First Coast, the club’s ownership group has no shortage of the other football on its sidelines, either.
Tim Tebow and Fred Taylor are two of the most recognizable names in Jacksonville and Florida sporting history, and they are proudly a part of our team. As a side note, feel free to refer to this dynamite pairing as ‘T-N-T’.
Florida Gator great Tebow has been a backer of the USL franchise from the get-go, tracing his Sporting JAX roots all the way back to the franchise announcement in August 2022. Former Jacksonville Jaguars’ legend Taylor, who recently made the upcoming final voting ballot for the NFL’s Hall of Fame, is the newest addition to the ownership team, but that isn’t stunting his excitement in the slightest.
On December 12, 2023, the two took to the stage for the first time together as at Sporting JAX owners to support the club’s name reveal and crest launch event in downtown Jacksonville. Beyond high level USL men’s and women’s soccer, the club’s mission to unite the First Coast through sport was a big draw for both of these gridiron greats.
“It’s about influence, impact and inclusivity for me,” Taylor said. “When they said we were going to lift every voice, each and every voice…I said ‘Okay, I’m in.’”
Not only did he join a fellow football star, but also a fellow former Gator and Jaguar. While at different times, the two share heritage here in the River City and beyond. Their ties to the area were also a big part of what drew them to join this project.
“That was the first thing that stood out: community,” Taylor said. “It’s so much for me about the dreams, the community and the city that we love and call home,” Tebow added.
Tebow’s connection to Jacksonville dates back to when his family moved here while he was a toddler, later setting high school football on the First Coast ablaze at Nease, where he led the Panthers to a state title before heading to Gainesville for college.
Taylor’s ties to our home came a bit later in life, but it was thanks to his time in Gainesville. He developed a fondness for the city while visiting with his Gators teammates who were from Jacksonville. It’s a good thing he liked it, as he was drafted ninth overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars a couple of years later.
While with the Jags, Taylor compiled the second-most touchdowns in franchise history, earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2007. Just last month, Taylor was announced as a finalist candidate to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Many would be inclined to argue that it’s an honor that’s long overdue, with Bleacher Report’s Cody Swartz calling him the “most underrated player of [the] generation” in 2009.
As for Tebow, his time with the Jags wasn’t quite as long, but it’s what he did in college that those around here remember him most for. At the University of Florida, he cemented himself as a college football legend, winning the Heisman Trophy and two national championships.
This competitiveness and drive to win is in their DNA, which is something they undoubtedly bring to the table as Sporting JAX owners. When it comes to the brand, both look forward to seeing our JAX shield and crest on not only the players and fans on matchdays, but even seeing it away from Jacksonville.
“I also look forward to seeing how many people from Northeast Florida have to go all around the world for different things and to see them representing our community around the world,” Tebow said.
Having the brand publicly in place is not only exciting for fans, but for us as well! We at Sporting JAX have more exciting announcements on the way, so stay tuned and have a great start to the new year.
