‘He’s Pretty Smart’ — CFB Legend Tim Tebow Gets 100% Real on How Lane Kiffin’s Controversial Persona Helps LSU Players
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Despite never leading a team to a national championship, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin seems to stay in the headlines. Whether he’s tweaking the nose of conference rivals or attempting to bring NFL players back into the college ranks, Kiffin does not seem to miss out on staying in the public eye.
When he left the University of Mississippi for LSU, Kiffin’s profile actually grew on a national stage. Granted, leaving a team before they embarked on a magical postseason run isn’t commonplace, but his arrival in Baton Rouge gave the Tigers fanbase hope.
With his ability to conduct calm, almost glib interviews and address conferences, Kiffin ensures that he remains the center of his program. As a result, a former Heisman Trophy winner offered his take on the Tigers’ coach’s demeanor and how it affects his players.
Tim Tebow Praises LSU Head Coach Lane Kiffin for Taking Heat off Players
Few players possess the college football resume that former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow does. As a result, when asked about Kiffin’s ability to command the spotlight, the Heisman Trophy winner offered a contradictory opinion.
“Maybe because Lane brings on so much noise around himself and the program, I actually think possibly it could give more freedom to the players.” Tebow began to explain. In that sense, the assertion makes sense. Kiffin absorbed the attention, which allows his players not to worry about pressers or interviews.
“Because not a lot of people are talking about the players–they’re talking about Lane, they’re talking about LSU, they’re talking about NFL player–they’re talking about all of these other things,” the Florida legend continued. However, people are talking about LSU’s players.
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For instance, attempts to bring NFL players back onto campus sparked a firestorm that led to lawsuits and likely angered SEC member schools. Moreover, from afar, Kiffin’s placing the starting quarterback on the injury list and quickly taking him off before the deadline looks like gamesmanship.
Tebow thinks that the head coach’s preference for standing in the middle of the cameras and offering clever sound bites is part of Kiffin’s master plan to spare his players.
“Lane takes some of that. I think that he knows it. I actually think he’s pretty smart in that way,” Tebow said.
If this were true, Kiffin would’ve operated in this manner all along. Back in 2025, Netflix released the “SEC Football: Any Given Saturday” series, which profiled various SEC teams. Kiffin did not participate, to the surprise of many individuals.
Tonight, win or lose against his former team, the outcome and specific questions will surround Kiffin. How he handles those questions, especially after the loss, remains unclear.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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