The Tackle Heard Around the World.

Slideshow

Image Analysis

When I pieced these imaged together, I wanted to create a narrative of the events that happened on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. This was a moment in Gator football history that would not be forgotten. It was also a wakeup call to quarterbacks around the country.

The images used express how powerful a football game really is. Not just physically, but emotionally.

The beginning shots of head coach Urban Meyer watching his players enter the locker room and hugging Tim Tebow show that this is his extended family and he would do anything to protect them. This would also show that when one of his family members gets injured, he takes it personally. 

The music plays a significant role in the slideshow. A Gator football game is usually a very happy occasion, but as you can in the series of pictures, it turn somber very quickly and even at the next game - tensions are still there and doubts rise about the teams ability to live up to their national-championship caliber.

In the end, football comes down to emotion. The emotion of the fans fuels the players which fuels the team which wins football game. Any swing of emotion, like losing a key player, can throw off a teams drive and cause months of preparation to crumble under their feet.

Pictures to a fantastic job at conveying emotion. In my opinion they tell a story much better than words or video. 

With a picture you can freeze the world. You can stop one moment in time that will never happen again. That is your moment that you caught and no one will ever get that exact moment that you have.

This does wonders when telling a story.

Even if you took out the photos of Tebow laying on the ground, you would know that something is wrong at that football game. The players look upset, the coach looks miserable and even at the next game, things don’t look 100% right.

Pictures have that ability to show exactly how someone is feeling at that moment in time that words can often mislead and video can often overlook.

The Story

Commonwealth Stadium was sold out on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. With over 67,000 fans of both the Kentucky Wildcats and the Florida Gators staring silently at one man wearing the number 15 jersey laying on the 15 yard line.

It took over 15 minutes for the play to be completed. From impact to dead silence to a slow clap, no one would come out victorious in this competition.

The day started off like many days in central Kentucky - cloudy and raining. I parked my car in a grass lot near Commonwealth stadium and began to organize my equipment, checking and double checking, to make sure the day would run smoothly. 

Unfortunately, I cannot control what I see through my lens, and this particular Saturday would prove to test my abilities to push a simple shutter.

When you join a university, you join a lifetime of commitment to your school. Be it loyalty to the football team, school colors or singing the alma mater - In this case, once your a Gator everyone else is Gator bait.

The game was going as planned while the Gators were crushing the Kentucky Wilcats. The Gators were up 31-7 coming into the second half and many though this was a time to give quarterback Tim Tebow a break and see what second-string quarterback John Brantley could do. Head coach Urban Meyer left Tebow in the game, but would soon regret this decision and change the course of the season.

On a quarterback carry, Tebow suffered a severe concussion which eventually sent him to the hospital and questioned his playability for the rest of the season.

Tebow sat on the sidelines, dazed and confused, for the remainder of the third quarter until he began to vomit, resulting in a quick escort off the field and to the hospital.

As photographers focused on backup quarterback John Brantley’s performance, I kept my eyes on Tebow documenting one of the most trying times in Gator Football.

Is Urban Meyer to blame for this? Many people asked. Will Tebow ever plan again?

A serious concussion, no matter what helmet protection you have, can change your life.

These were all questions and concerns that would take weeks to answer and some would never get answers to just how severe the concussion was.

The Gator Nation was stunned without their leader on the field and fans, teammates and coaches alike would be in a state of confusion for the next two weeks until the Gators traveled the Louisiana to play one of their biggest rival, Louisiana State University.

It was a questionable start for Meyer; if Tebow was to get injured again, the coach’s credibility could be shattered. He had already been criticized immensely for leaving Tebow in the game after the Gators were up 31-7 at the half. He defended his decisions and assured the media he was doing his job correctly.

Meyer was huddled in the tunnel where the team was to enter - one can only imagine the thoughts running through his mind. 

Coaching at the University of Florida is one of the most stressful jobs in the world. You have an impatient fan base, pressure from the Alumni to win and an expectation of a perfect season which has yet to be accomplished.

The stadium was deafening, the bands were playing, and there was an uneasy tension throughout the day. ESPN’s GameDay was there to provide commentary on all day before the 8 p.m. game and there was no second of that play that caused Tebow’s departure untouched. Will Tim Tebow play?

He warmed up with the team and the fans were supportive, but no one knew exactly who was going to come on the field for the first offensive play of the game.

He did and he won.

In a close 13-3 game, the Gators came out victorious, and the entire Gator Nation let out a sigh of relief knowing that their quarterback, their leader, their Tebow was back in action.