Tim Tebow, you are better than that.

You are better than complaining about losing the Heisman.

You are better than saying maybe you should come back to school to try to join Archie Griffin as the only two-time Heisman winners.

It is time for a little lesson in humility and grace.

A lesson you can learn from Chris Leak.

You remember Leak.

The former Gators quarterback fans loved to hate. The guy everyone wanted run out of town, but instead of leaving, stayed around to guide Florida to the national championship in 2006.

Leak had to deal with far worse than being left off a few Heisman ballots. He had to endure being booed in his own stadium. Vitriolic message boards that called for him to be benched for an unproven true freshman. A coach who completely changed the offense, making him look as good as a fat man in a Speedo.

The indignity of being forgotten right after winning a national championship.

Never once did Leak complain. He never made the situation about himself. He never said he would use the booing as motivation. Or the rampant calls to be replaced by Tebow as motivation. Even when he led the Gators to the national championship over Ohio State, Leak never gloated.

Hearing Tebow turn a team pursuit of a national championship into revenge for himself, well, that is something Leak would never have done.

So focus on the game, not an individual snub.

Leak did all of this in every game, but especially in the most important game of his life. Against Ohio State, Leak stayed calm and steady. He was a revelation, made no costly mistakes and of course made way for Tebow, who ended up scoring two touchdowns to one for Leak.

But it was never about the touchdowns for Leak. Tebow was the one who delivered the flashy plays. Leak was the one who simply delivered. He was everything the Gators needed. Not only because of his been-there-before attitude, but also because he didn’t try to do everything himself.

Without him, the Gators wouldn’t be playing for their second national championship in three years. Without him, the Gators wouldn’t have returned to the top of the college football world.

Two years removed from that championship, Leak is as classy as ever. Says he is happy for Tebow, happy he played a little part in what the new quarterback has become. Even says Tebow deserved to win a second Heisman.

When asked about the way he was treated while at Florida, Leak is still gracious.

“There’s going to be criticism. It’s part of the game,” Leak says. “It’s how things work when you’re in the spotlight, especially at the quarterback position. That’s one thing you cannot pay attention to. The main thing you can do is put in the work and prepare. It all paid off for me.”

These days, Leak is living in Orlando with his wife, who works for the Magic. He spent this past season with Montreal of the CFL, though he never played. He plans on going back to the CFL next season, hoping to one day make it to the NFL.

There is no doubting that Tebow has been a great ambassador for the University of Florida, a great leader for the football program and a compassionate humanitarian. But Saturday night was not his best moment.

People not only remember how you win, they remember how you lose.