C.J. Spiller will catch up with a familiar face Saturday when his Buffalo Bills host the Denver Broncos. The running back and Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow played high school football in Florida at the same time, and both were highly publicized players.
In fact, Spiller was even more hyped than Tebow at Union County High School, where Rivals.com rated him the No. 1 high school player in Florida.
Tebow played at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach before committing to the University of Florida. Spiller flirted with Florida State before ultimately choosing Clemson.
"We played them early in my high school career," Spiller said on "The Dave Dameshek Football Program" this week. "I wouldn't necessarily say it was a rivalry. We kind of became friends. I know his parents, and he's got a great family."
Spiller, the Bills' first-round draft pick in 2010 (No. 9 overall), also weighed in on Tebowmania.
"I have the utmost respect for Tim Tebow, for what he stands for, because he doesn't shy away from that, and that's going to take you farther than (being) a football player," Spiller said. "People are going to judge his throwing motion and other stuff, but at the end of the day, he's winning games for his team, and that's what counts."
Spiller, who prides himself on his versatility (he plays wide receiver and special teams as well), wasn't sure he could throw the ball farther than Tebow if he were a quarterback, but he did offer one boast: "I think I'd get it out quicker."