Tebow
became popular for bringing his teams back from defeat in what became known as
“Tebow Time.” He did it repeatedly with Florida, and then with the Denver
Broncos.
Many
football analysts pooh-poohed his chances of ever having a successful career in
the National Football League (NFL). He was picked up in the first round of the
draft by the Denver Broncos. He understood that he would be the backup
quarterback behind Kyle Orton. The opening five games in the 2011 season were
mostly a disaster for the Broncos. They lost four and won one before Orton
suffered an injury, giving Tebow an opportunity few quarterbacks have
experienced.
With
eleven games left in the season, Tebow rallied the Broncos to seven wins and
four loses. It wasn’t a great season overall, but it was an astounding
accomplishment when you consider where the Broncos started. Tebow, a young
inexperienced NFL quarterback, motivated his team, as well as a world-wide
audience, by taking the Broncos into the play-offs. He then led them to a
victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers for their first play-off win since 2005.
Tebow’s
future in the NFL looked promising. But Broncos’ owner John Elway, a Hall of
Fame quarterback himself, did not see Tebow as a fit for the team. So he was
picked up by the New York Jets in a trade. The next season was a waste of this
young man’s talent and development. He was rarely used in what can only be
called a dismal season for the Jets. He was released earlier this year to seek
an opportunity to be picked up by another team.
Tebow,
born Timothy Richard Tebow, has become something of a lightning rod over two
things in his life: First, he is exceptionally popular. Tebow wore
number 15 on his jersey for the Broncos, the same number he wore in college. He
set an NFL Draft record for jersey sales and continued to have the top selling
jersey through the 2010 season. Also, he created the instantly popular
“Tebowing,” an action where Tebow would kneel on one knee, place his elbow on
his knee, with his head bowed on his fist in an attitude of prayer and
thanksgiving.
The second reason for his garnering so much attention,
both positive and negative, is his openly vocal Christian witness. He makes no
bones about where he stands. This goes back to his college days, and even
earlier. But his popularity at Florida provided him a platform to speak boldly
about his faith. He popularized the message, John 3:16, on his face black,
which prompted millions of Internet searches for the beloved verse from the
Bible: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” When
other college students took their two-week Spring Break down in the islands of
the Caribbean, or Florida, Tebow would fly to the Philippines where he worked
with children in an orphanage.
This past week Tebow was picked up by the New England
Patriots, a championship caliber team under what is clearly a legendary Hall of
Fame coach in Bill Belichick. The Tebow naysayers are claiming that Tebow won’t
amount to anything even under a coach like Belichick. As a life-long Patriots
fan, I have to believe that Belichick has a plan as to how to best utilize this
young man. It will be interesting to watch.
His parents were missionaries when Tebow was born in the
Philippines. He grew up loving Jesus and has made a significant difference in
the lives of many people by sharing his faith and being philanthropic. “Tebow
envisioned a foundation to give back to others during his college career, and
he, along with other University of Florida students, created First and 15,
raising funds for Uncle Dick's Orphanage in the Philippines, founded by his
father's nonprofit association, the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association. He also
raised money for Shands Hospital pediatric cancer center in Gainesville and a Disney
trip for disadvantaged children. Upon graduation from the University of Florida,
Tebow launched the Tim Tebow Foundation in January 2010. A hospital is being
built in the Philippines to provide specific medical care for conditions that
can be treated by surgery. Ground-breaking began in 2012. In 2013 Tim Tebow was
designated a Great Floridian by Florida Governor Rick Scott in recognition of his
‘major contributions to the progress and welfare’ of Florida.
So, love him or not, it will be very interesting to see
if the next few years become “Tebow Time” again.
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