Three Gators Heisman legends reunite for a good cause in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE — Heisman-winning quarterbacks Steve Spurrier, Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel will forever have bronze statues at the Swamp, a spot in the Ring of Honor and a place in the hearts of Florida fans.

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Rarely, though, do the three living legends come together in Gainesville for all to see.

That rare constellation of stars aligned Sunday, turning a lucrative trading card show into a priceless event for Florida fans.

The trio signed autographs and met with fans, far fewer in the case of Tebow, at the Alachua County Sports & Events Center to culminate the inaugural Florida Legends Card Show. Some fans walked away with a lifetime memory while the children of the Isiaiah 1117 House received much-needed financial help.

“In terms of doing an event just for Gators that have the three of us, this is a pretty rare ticket to get,” Wuerffel said. 

Local businessman Freddie Wehbe organized the event, including a high-priced dinner Sunday night at Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille with the three former Gators as guests of honors. The goal was to raise $1 million for a non-profit organization that provides a home for children who are removed from their families and awaiting foster care placement.

“I heard something the other day about children like this — one out of five become homeless when they get to 18 or 20,” Spurrier said. “This Isaiah 117 group gets them in school, gets them somewhere to stay, and hopefully they’ll have a good future. They got a chance.”

Tebow and Wuerffel are known for their good works as much as their football exploits, with their Florida careers providing them a bigger platform.

Sunday gave attendees the chance to do their part while meeting the three most recognizable men in Gator Nation. The three signed footballs, tossed short passes to them and exchanged handshakes and hugs.

Catching a throw from Tebow was “a once-in-a-lifetime experience” for Michael Herkov, a 66-year-old former professor of psychology at UF and Gainesville resident since 1990.

Herkov donned a Tebow jersey while meeting Tebow with his sons Stephen and John.

Herkov experienced Florida’s first national championship with Wuerffel throwing touchdowns and Spurrier dialing up plays. He and Stephen attended the Gators’ 2008 national championship win in Miami, two seasons after the 2006 squad won it all.

“I’ve been watching him play football since I was a little kid, and it was just awesome to meet him in person,” Stephen said. “He’s a great guy.”

Herkov said Tebow’s value system is as impressive as his athletic ability.

“Seeing how he’s been able to turn the God-given gifts of athleticism into all this good just makes it all special,” Herkov said.

Cradling her signed football, Lake City’s Victoria Peurrung echoed the sentiments. But not before the former cheerleader caught a pass from Tebow and immediately did a split, drawing cheers from her favorite quarterback.

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“I’ve gone to some of his fundraisers because he does so many good things for everybody,” she said. “It was amazing.”

Tebow was all smiles and warmth with those he met. But he restricted his access to only those who paid to meet him, with a large partition separating one area of the building from the card show tables and crowds.

When asked if Tebow wanted to discuss Sunday’s experience, a member of his PR team said the 39-year-old native of the Jacksonville area native could not fit the request into his schedule.

The three Gator icons were scheduled to be photographed with fans later at Spurrier’s restaurant before breaking bread with those in attendance. A spot at Tebow’s table cost $749, compared with $449 for Spurrier and $349 for Wuerffel.

“When will that happen again?” Herkov wondered. “Three Heisman Trophy winners from the same school and getting a photo with them.”

 A day earlier, many millions changed hands during the card show featuring 202 vendors.

Among the rarest cards was a 2018 Kaboom Green card of Tebow as a baseball player in the New York Mets organization.

Geoff Wilson, a 2001 UF graduate from Sarasota, owns the only one printed.

Wilson founded Sports Card Investor in Atlanta, one of the nation’s largest trading card businesses. His $6,000 investment in the Tebow card is now worth $60,000, but Wilson said he’ll never sell it.

“I bought it not for the value of the card; I bought it for just wanting it for my collection,” he said.

Wilson’s collection is vast, but he rarely finds much interest in his alma mater when traveling the country. That made the Gainesville show special. 

He sold hundreds of cards Saturday, forcing him to restock for the final day.

“Nowhere else do they really care about my Gator cards,” he said.

Steve Weitlaugh of Grand Slam Collectibles in Ocala knew his audience well. 

Among his offerings were 75 footballs signed by the three Heisman winners and 300 jerseys with Wuerffel’s No. 7, Spurrier’s No. 11 and Tebow’s No. 15, along with their signatures, available for $695.

Options abounded on a day when orange and blue was everywhere Sunday, along with the three men who made it all possible. 

“It’s an incredible trilogy of talent today,” Gainesville’s Greg Schultz said. “It’s really nice that they’ve done this, and the cause that they’re raising money for is even more important.”

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Edgar Thompson can be reached at [email protected]