As the world collectively moves a day closer to discovering whether Denver quarterback Tim Tebow's magic can be resuscitated in the NFL playoffs, the one-man sensation may also be moving closer to expanding his brand into a prep-focused training center in the Tampa, Fla. area.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, discussions between Tebow and D1 Sports Training are in an advanced stage to make Tebow a high profile investor in the sports training and medicine chain's Tampa franchise. By signing in to an agreement, Tebow would be a recognized investor in the chain, though it is uncertain whether his image would be used for advertising for that location or others. The quarterback is reportedly already an investor in the sports training company's Savannah Georgia location.
"We're just trying to just finalize everything with him right now," D1 Sports Training corporate spokesman Matt Toy told the Times. "Part of the reason we can't announce anything right now is that he's just so focused on the season. Plus we have a few details to work out."
If he does join in with D1's Tampa location, Tebow would add even more immediately relevant star power to a cadre of professional athletes that already includes Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, professional wrestler Chris Jericho and former Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks.
Brooks is signed on as an official "ambassador" for the facility, which will include a 60-yard artificial turf football field and is directly attached to a sports medicine facility. The Times reported that the D1 corporate ownership and partners have invested between $1 and $2 million in the facility, which aims to train predominantly high school athletes as if they were already competing at the collegiate level.
"It teaches you about the different training styles and what kids should put into their bodies and not put into their bodies. There's an emphasis on sportsmanship," Brooks told the Times. "And it affords them the same opportunity to be trained by a professional that the pros get. That's something I never had when I was a kid."
Whether it will succeed in that aim remains to be seen, but if it does add Tebow, D1 will definitely achieve in at least one thing: It'll get noticed in the Tampa sports scene very quickly.
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