Marcus Stokes on connection to Tim Tebow, relationship with Billy Napier
Tim Tebow’s high school alma mater, Nease, has produced another quarterback for Florida. Elite 11 finalist Marcus Stokes committed to the Gators last Thursday, flipping his commitment from Penn State.
Stokes sat on his offer from UF for about a week before officially making the switch. He said informing the PSU staff was one of the toughest conversations he’ll ever have, but that was followed by one of the best calls of his life.
“I called Coach [Billy] Napier and I told him, ‘I’m ready to become a Gator.’ And everybody was ecstatic,” Stokes said during his announcement on 1010XL. “I love how it’s close to home. It’s only an hour and 30 minutes away. It’s benefits me and my parents.”
Stokes, like Tebow, grew up in the 904 area wanting to play for the Gators, but both of them aren’t lifelong Florida residents. Tebow was born in the Philippines before his family relocated to Jacksonville, while Stokes lived in Maryland prior to moving to Florida.
Tebow led Nease to a state title as a senior in 2005 before his legendary collegiate career, helping the Gators winning a pair of SEC titles and two national championships. After the Panthers won just one game the previous two seasons, Stokes led the team to a 9-4 record and regional final last year behind his 2,672 passing yards and 28 total touchdowns (six rushing).
Stokes said he hasn’t had the opportunity to interact with the Heisman Trophy winner yet, but the two will eventually cross paths now. Stokes embraces the connection he shares with Tebow as a Nease quarterback going to play for UF.
“It’s kind of crazy how I’m rewriting history right now, or history is rewriting itself,” Stokes said. “It’s crazy to think about how small the world is. I come from Maryland, haven’t lived in Florida my whole life. Don’t know anything about where Tim Tebow is from. So just being able to be a part of this history is insane. It’s a great feeling.”
Stokes said he also wasn’t familiar with Napier prior to his hiring, but the first-year Gators coach quickly won him over during his unofficially visit in March. Stokes returned to campus on June 22 and competed in Florida’s 7-on-7 tournament, which led to him landing an offer from Napier.
“At Louisiana, I’ve heard he’s done great things there and I’ve heard he’s had a great past. But before Florida, I really didn’t know much about him. But once I took a visit there and really got to know him, I got to see how good of a person he is and how great of a coach he is,” Stokes said of Napier. “I got an offer from a school that really could change my life. I was excited about it, and it made me reconsider my decision.”
