Tebow won't attend NFL Draft

The NFL draft will have less star power without Tim Tebow in attendance.

Tebow spurned repeated invitations from the NFL to attend Thursday night's selection process at Radio City Music Hall. The storied University of Florida quarterback will instead watch the proceedings with loved ones in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla.

"It was exciting to think about walking up (on stage), shaking the commissioner's hand and holding up my jersey (of the team that drafted him)," Tebow told FOXSports.com on Wednesday. "That would have been the coolest thing. It made my decision that much harder.

"But I thought it was best to be home with my friends and family. It's not just an award for me being drafted. It's for all the people who invested in me during my life. I want to be able to celebrate with those people."

Tebow estimates about 30 people will watch the draft with him from a family friend's house. Tebow said he was forced to move the gathering from his parents' home because of poor cell phone reception where they live.

Projections on where Tebow will be chosen range from the first to second round. But wherever he is selected, Tebow is content in knowing he gave his all trying to improve his draft stock from grueling workouts to revamping his throwing motion.

"There's nothing else we could have done or prepared harder for," said Tebow, who praised the support staff assembled by Memphis-based agent Jimmy Sexton. "No one spent more hours training or studying than me. I firmly believe that. I take a lot of pride in that. We haven't left any stone unturned.

"The draft is going to be exciting for me. I'm going to enjoy the moment."