Mike Westhoff on Tim Tebow: "It was a mess ... a distraction ... I'm still waiting for the unveiling" [Audio]

Mike Westhoff, the colorful special teams coach of the Jets who rose to national fame on Hard Knocks a few years ago, decided to retire last month.

This morning, Westhoff was the Joe Rose Show (560 WQAM) and offered up his thoughts on what happened with Tim Tebow in New York last season. You can listen to the audio here;

Retired Jets special teams coach Mike Westhoff takes shots at Tim Tebow [Audio]

I’ve pulled the best quotes below:

"It was a mess. An absolute mess … I was very, very disappointed. If you incorporate [Tebow] in different facets of your offense, I think he can be a factor. That’s what I felt we were going to do, but we never did. We would put him in for a play … I was expecting to see him line up in a couple roles … H-back, tight end … we didn’t do it. My role with him was going to be 1%. But when Eric Smith got hurt, I had to use [Tebow] full-time. Most of the stuff he did for me, he did outstanding. But it was only supposed to be a fraction [of his overall duties]. I don’t think anyone has answered that question. I know we didn’t practice it in training camp … I’m still waiting for the unveiling. It was a distraction, and really a shame. that’s a hard working young man."

Welp … this confirms what every Jets fan knew months ago: The only one who wanted Tim Tebow in New York was the team’s greedy owner, Woody Johnson. He used Tim Tebow to garner headlines and media coverage and sell tickets. As we noted all season, it was painfully clear that Rex Ryan wanted no part of Tebow. And offensive coordinator Tony Sparano – he was fired this week – was clueless on what to do with Tebow, too (even though Sparano raved about him at the Senior Bowl a few years ago).

Those two trips to the AFC title game feel like an eternity ago. The Jets are back to being … the Jets. The GM search has been a disaster. They don’t have an offensive coordinator yet. Is the 2013 tank plan being implemented by the owner in hopes of landing Jadeveon Clowney first in 2014? I wouldn’t mind that. Seriously.