Tim Tebow jabs Roman Harper, Alabama football players over not attending class while playing

On Friday, Tim Tebow and Roman Harper joined The Paul Finebaum Show live from Gainesville. The SEC Network rolled into town ahead of No. 9 Texas visiting Florida for a marquee Week 6 showdown.

Before turning to the on-field preview, Tebow took a moment to reflect on his college days. He specifically focused on remembering the academic side of his Florida experience.

“I always love being here, because this is home,” the former Heisman winner stated. “When we walked in here, right behind our set where we’re filming right now, is where I walked into my first class, which was a Speech 101 with Stephanie Webster — God rest her soul.”

That prompted a little back-and-forth with Harper. He marveled at Tebow, remembering those little details. That left the door wide open for Tebow, who didn’t miss the chance to land a jab at Alabama’s expense — Harper’s school.

“Of course, I actually went to class. We have to do that at Florida, Roman. Grades and stuff matter to us here,” Tebow joked. “A good education. It’s a little bit different. I know you didn’t have to go to class.”

Harper could only laugh as Tebow got him good on his home turf. However, he did praise the Gainesville atmosphere and expressed his excitement for the big game of the weekend, where Texas is opening SEC play on the road against Florida.

On one hand, the Gators are desperate to halt their 1–3 start under Billy Napier, while Texas is looking to make a statement on the other side. Both teams enter the matchup banged up in the backfield. For the Longhorns, CJ Baxter is doubtful and Tre Wisner is probable, both battling hamstring issues. On Florida’s side, Ja’Kobi Jackson and Treyaun Webb have already been ruled out.

Both teams would’ve hoped to be at full health, as Texas and Florida have struggled at times offensively this season. After failing to score more than one touchdown in the season opener against Ohio State, the Longhorns have begun to come into their own in the three games since. However, those games have all been against Group of Five opponents. 

For Florida, all three of its losses have come against teams that were ranked in the top 25. In those three matchups, the Gators’ offense was held to under 20 points. The last two matchups in that stretch were against LSU and Miami teams, ranked in the top five at the time of the matchup. Saturday will be the fourth game in a five-game stretch where the Gators will only face ranked opponents.

All told, it’s a pivotal spot for both programs, and SEC legends like Tebow and Harper will be watching closely. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET at The Swamp, where one team will walk away with a much-needed win.