The question burns as brightly and persistently as the lights in Tiger Stadium.Since the moment the LSU football team finished up its 20-13 win against Georgia last Saturday, it has been the hot topic among Tiger fans, Florida fanatics, the national media and everyone in between.Will Tim Tebow play Saturday night in Death Valley?”I’ve been asked a lot, especially by the people who matter to me, my family and the team,” Florida coach Urban Meyer said Monday. “The people that need to know, know that he’s doing good. But you’re right, that’s a big question nationally.” It’s been roughly 11 days since Florida’s all-world quarterback ricocheted off his own lineman’s knee while taking a brutal sack in a 41-7 win against Kentucky.Details have been few and far between ever since, but it’s widely considered he sustained a Grade II concussion, which has been reported to give the former Heisman Trophy winner confusion, post-traumatic amnesia but no loss of consciousness.”Generally speaking, if this is his first Grade II concussion, doctors are going to be evaluating his mental status on a day-to-day basis,” said Dr. Benjamin Phalin, a psychology resident at the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology in Gainesville, Fla.Guidelines by the American Academy of Neurology state a player can return to action after one week of asymptomatic behavior. “If in fact it was a Grade II, the guidelines provided are conservative enough to allow for a return to play,” Phalin said. “The guidelines try to balance between the welfare of the player and being too conservative.”Meyer said Tebow wasn’t showing any symptoms of a concussion Monday, and the Gators’ star returned to practice in a limited role Tuesday, furthering speculation he could take the field against the Tigers.”He didn’t go full, and it was obviously non-contact,” Meyer said after Tuesday’s practice. “I’d say he did probably 80 percent of practice. He did well.”It might not be that cut and dry, however. Phalin said people who have suffered concussions are much more likely to sustain a second one, and there is also the issue of Second Impact Syndrome.Phalin described the syndrome, sometimes referred to as SIS, as a sudden swelling in the brain if a person suffers a second concussion before the symptoms of the first subside.Dr. L. Allen Proctor of The NeuroMedical Center Clinic in Baton Rouge said Tebow runs a small risk of coma or permanent brain damage if he takes a big hit too soon after returning. “When you get right down to it, [Florida] has to worry about protecting his health,” Proctor said. “He has a lot more riding on this than just one game.”Proctor based his concerns for SIS mainly on the possibility of Tebow suffering a Grade III concussion, as it looked as though he may have lost consciousness briefly after taking the hit.”That sort of thing [SIS] has been seen with a return to play  after a shorter period of time,” Phalin said. “But the risk of that is reduced if he hasn’t shown symptoms for a week.”Even if the Gators’ signal caller is cleared for action, opinions vary on the question of whether Tebow should play.”You can’t go into Death Valley shorthanded if you can help it,” said Mike McCall, staff sports writer for The Independent Florida Alligator, Florida’s student newspaper. “If it’s iffy at all, it’s not worth the risk. But if he can play, he plays.”Tebow also brings a wealth of experience to what should be an electric atmosphere in Tiger Stadium. His backup, redshirt sophomore John Brantley, has yet to start a game in a Florida uniform.The issue is a tough one for fellow football players, who often play through injuries.”If it was an ankle or an arm, but a concussion … That’s pretty serious,” said LSU senior defensive end Rahim Alem. “He’s got a future to look out for, but I’m pretty sure he wants to play in this one.”Alem said he’d prefer Tebow to start if it’s possible.Meyer said discussions about Tebow’s status and availability will continue into the week, according to The Alligator.- – – -Contact David Helman at [email protected]