PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Tim Tebow has an answer ready for the?New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns?and any other NFL team with a void at quarterback: Hes a baseball player now.After taking part in his first day of the?New York Mets instructional league, Tebow said he is committed to his new sport and has no interest in fielding calls from NFL teams that have a need at quarterback because of an injury.I have to play baseball now -- thats what I would tell them, Tebow said. Im part of the Mets family now.Tebow signed a minor league contract with the Mets for a $100,000 bonus 11 days ago after an open tryout in Los Angeles in late August. He last wore a football uniform during the 2015 NFL preseason with the?Philadelphia Eagles; his previous stops include the Denver Broncos, New York Jets and Patriots.Tebow joined 57 other minor leaguers and 24 coaches Monday at the Instructional League, which runs for three weeks at the Mets spring training complex at Tradition Field. More than 400 fans and about 70 media members watched him take part in a variety of drills and routine baseball activities for about two hours.Before donning a Mets uniform, Tebow last played organized baseball as a high school outfielder in suburban Jacksonville in 2005. He gave up baseball at the University of Florida and went on to win a Heisman Trophy and lead the Gators to two national titles.During a 30-minute news conference Monday, Tebow said he is unconcerned with the negative fallout from critics who have called his foray into baseball a publicity stunt and have written off his chances for success.The good thing is, I dont have to say anything, Tebow said. I get to go in the locker room, get a workout, take a shower, hang out with my teammates and show up tomorrow and go train again.A lot of people might say, You have a chip on your shoulder. Well, I guess I have a little chip. But its not really the naysayers. I want to prove the Mets organization and the coaches here right, and try to be the best baseball player and person that I can. Im doing it to pursue whats in my heart and live out a dream and live life to the fullest.Tebows first day was relatively uneventful. At 10 a.m. ET, he took the field for 15 minutes of stretching. Then he participated in baserunning drills and shagged balls in the outfield before taking soft tosses from coaches and stepping in the batting cage.Although Tebow didnt hit any home runs in batting practice, he made solid contact throughout his four sessions in the cage and drove two balls off the right-field fence. The crowd cheered him after every round.Mets manager Terry Collins checked in with his counterparts in Florida, including rehab coordinator Jon Debus, after Mondays workout to see how Tebow performed.They said it was pretty interesting, Collins said. ... Jon said, Ive seen a lot of guys work hard. He said, This guys a monster. He said he was sweating pretty profusely at the end of the day, but he said he was in good shape.He said everything he did, he got a round of applause. So Im sure it was fun.Timmy Truong, a 2015 University of Florida graduate, was among many Gators fans who showed up for the workout. The fans mobbed Tebow for autographs, and he signed for about five minutes on a back field before heading to the main complex in a golf cart to meet the media.If you went to UF, you know Tim Tebow, Truong said. You have to come out and show him some respect for what he brought to the school. Im pretty sure 90 percent of the people here are for Tim Tebow -- not for the Mets.At age 29, Tebow is significantly older than the other players in Port St. Lucie. Pitcher Cameron Griffin is the second-oldest player at 25, and pitchers Keaton Aldridge and Ronald Sanchez are the only other Instructional Leaguers older than 23.Standing 6-foot-3, 255 pounds -- with roughly 7 percent body fat -- Tebow is also significantly bigger and more muscular than the other campers. His size made him easier to spot for fans who leaned on chain-link fences as he shagged fly balls or ran sprints in the distance.In addition to widespread skepticism about his playing ability, Tebow has received some criticism for his plan to leave the Instructional League each week to continue his TV work with ESPNs SEC Nation. He said he will typically leave Port St. Lucie on Friday morning and return on Saturday after his analyst duties are complete.When I give my word to somebody, Im going to keep it no matter what, Tebow said. This is something I had to do because I gave my word to my SEC family. Im a big believer in that. Its how I was raised. Thats what I want my integrity to stand for. When I give my word on something, I want it to mean something.Tebow said he plans to develop one-on-one relationships with his younger teammates in camp and address any issues that might arise. At the moment, his specialized schedule doesnt appear to be a problem.In the course of talking with guys, a couple of them have already brought it up, Tebow said. Theyre like, So youre flying to Auburn this weekend? Some of them are already trying to get college football advice.ESPNs Adam Rubin contributed to this report. Cheap NHL Jerseys China . Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats. Wholesale Hockey Jerseys . Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. http://www.chinanhljerseys.com/ . 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My dad told me a long time ago, If you make it through the downs, the ups will take care of itself. So were just going to keep doing what we do. If we get backed up into a corner, were going to come out and fight.The Arizona Cardinals wont be the ideal visitors on Sunday. Though theyve been one of the NFCs many underperformers and yet to win a game outside of the Pacific time zone, the Cardinals (4-4-1) are plenty dangerous on both sides of the ball. They have their own urgency to catch up in the conference playoff race while starting a final stretch with five of seven games on the road .David Johnson leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage, with at least 100 in each game, and a defense that was dominant before Minnesotas momentum-killing bye week has been vulnerable against pass-catching running backs. The Vikings (5-4) will also be breaking in a new kicker, Kai Forbath , after releasing Blair Walsh.A lot of people are doubting right now, and thats fine, but as long as everyone in this locker room believes, were going to be OK, left guard Alex Boone said.Here are some more angles to the matchup:BRADFORD BLOSSOMING: Despite an injury-ravaged offensive line and a nonexistent running game, Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford has already set a career high with five games with a 100-plus passer rating. Hes third in the NFL in completion percentage and fifth in interception percentage, still yet to be picked off in a home game. But cornerback Patrick Peterson and the rest of Arizonas accomplished, versatile defense will provide a stiff test.Probably the best group that weve faced, Bradford said.GO-TO GUY: Minnesotas Stefon Diggs, whos tied for fourth in the league with 61 receptions, caught 13 passes in each of the past two games to set an NFL record. Three players share the all-time mark of 36 catches over a three-game span, with Pittsburghs Antonio Brown the most recent to get there.Theres no doubt, then, who will be responsible for containing Diggs: Peterson, whosse 19 interceptions since he entered the league in 2011 are third most during that span.dddddddddddd Thats despite many quarterbacks deciding to throw away from the place on the field occupied by the three-time All-Pro.Its going to be a great matchup, Bradford said. Its going to be fun to watch.FITZGERALD THEATER: Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will play in his home city for the fifth time in his 13-year career. He has never won in Minnesota.The summertime, thats when Im coming home for some leisure, but this is a business trip, said Fitzgerald, whos second in the NFL with 68 receptions. Im coming for only one reason, and thats to try to get a win.PRAISE FROM PALMER: Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmers respect for and insight into Zimmers character and personality run deep. They were together from 2008 through 2010 in Cincinnati, where Zimmer was the defensive coordinator. Palmer said he sees parallels between Zimmer and Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, both of whom didnt get a head coach position until late in their careers.Everybodys held accountable, whether youre the best player on the team or the guy thats just about to get cut, Palmer said. Thats something that guys really respect, I know.And Zimmer did not play favorites, Palmer said.He doesnt hold back. He tells you the truth. He doesnt sugarcoat things, Palmer said. If you need to do better, you better do better or else hes going to replace you, and hes serious about things like that. There are no politically correct-type statements. Hes very cut and dried, and what you see is what you get.TACKLES CHALLENGE: John Wetzel had his first start at left tackle in Arizonas win over San Francisco last week and held his own in place of Jared Veldheer, who is out for the season with a torn triceps. Facing a tough defensive front in a loud stadium at Minnesota is another matter.Everson Griffen is, I think, one of the most underrated defensive ends in the league, Arians said, going on to praise Vikings defensive end Brian Robison and defensive tackle Linval Joseph.Wetzel hadnt played in an NFL game until this season.This is a big, big test, Arians said.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Stitched Jerseys China Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Womens Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Outlet Wholesale Throwback Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2019 Jerseys Wholesale Discount NFL Jerseys Stitched NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Throwback Cheap NFL Gear Cheap NFL Jerseys Throwback Wholesale Jerseys 2018 Wholesale NFL White Jerseys ' ' '
