HOOVER, Ala. — Steve Spurrier cleared up the biggest mystery at Southeastern Conference media days: How Tim Tebow got left off a preseason All-SEC ballot.
Spurrier said Friday that South Carolina’s director of football operations Jamie Speronis filled out the ballot in his stead and voted for Mississippi’s Jevan Snead.
The other coaches picked Tebow, the Heisman Trophy winner two years ago.
“We screwed it up pretty badly,” said Spurrier, who approved the ballot. “I’m embarrassed about it. I feel bad about it.”
Spurrier said he has apologized to Tebow and that the SEC has let him amend the ballot to add Tebow. The vote totals have been changed on the league Web site.
The former Florida coach and quarterback — also a Heisman winner — called Tebow the best football player in the country. He said Tebow and ex-Gator Danny Wuerffel might go down as the two best quarterbacks in college football history.
Spurrier said he has never filled out a preseason All-SEC ballot himself.
“I haven’t done that in 17 years,” Spurrier said. “I usually look it over and I sign off on it. I did a poor job of looking it over this year.”
Tracking down the lone coach to pick Mississippi’s Jevan Snead was a weeklong question.
Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin even brought his ballot to the stage with him and showed it to an SEC staffer, who confirmed his Tebow pick. He said he had help filling out the ballot, “but I was obviously a big part of it.”
Still, Spurrier’s explanation raised questions about whether coaches fill out their own Top 25 ballots during the season. Spurrier said he looks over his “a lot more thoroughly” than preseason All-SEC teams.
He said he remains an advocate of coaches releasing their ballots publicly.
LSU’s Les Miles said sports information director Michael Bonnette, after an “over-the-phone conversation,” filled out his preseason All-SEC ballot, but that he fills out his own Top 25 in the coaches poll with some help.
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