Tim Tebow was never expected to amount to much. As the well-known story goes, his mother was advised to have an abortion due to danger from a placental abruption. She refused to do so and on August 14, 1987, Timothy Richard Tebow was born. He attended Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida where he played quarterback. He eventually joined the University of Florida, helped the Gators win a national championship during the 2006 season, and won the Heisman Trophy as well as another national championship in 2007.
He was selected in the first round of 2010 draft by the Denver Broncos, starting three games in his rookie season but eventually becoming starting QB in his second season. Before entering the NFL, many said that Tebow had neither the form nor the smarts to become a true NFL quarterback. They saw his throwing mechanism as too jerky and incomplete, and had doubts in his leadership ability for an NFL team.
Junior Nick Read said,” [Tebow is] a really interesting guy because he is so religious and plays well on the field. He’s obviously not the best QB in the league, but I’d probably say he’s the most famous.”
Although his team started 1-4, before his takeover of the quarterback position, Tebow led the Broncos to their first playoff season since 2005 by winning six games in a row and ending the season with an 8-5 record. Many of these games were characterized by fourth quarter drives and seemingly impossible “come-from-behind” victories.
Much was made as a result, of Tebow’s avowed faith in Christianity as a possible reason for these wins. The child of missionaries, Tebow is known for his strong Christian beliefs, making references to bible verses such as “John 3:16” on his face black and often kneeling in prayer soon after a match, win or loss. Indeed, this kneeling phenomenon came to be known as “Tebowing” and has sparked albums of people kneeling in place in various locations throughout the world.
This is just one example as to how Tebow’s very presence in society has become something of a cultural phenomenon. Freshman Kristina Pucelli said,” [Tebow] is a really polarizing figure in today’s world. Most people, I think are sick of big egos and stuff like that and so they see him as a change.”
He represents what believers see as the best of them: humble, pious, and above all spreading the Good Word amongst the millions of people watching him every Saturday and Sunday night. Nonbelievers see Tebow as the epitome of heavy handed religious indoctrination, telling those who choose not to believe that his path is the only path.
Sophomore Andrew Smith said,” He doesn’t really try to impose his religion on anybody, so I guess it’s OK but I would understand why people aren’t comfortable with it.”
It must be said, however, that Tebow personally, is a truly selfless person. Every week, Tebow picks out someone who is suffering, or who is dying, or who is injured. He flies these people and their families to the Broncos game, rents them a car, puts them up in a hotel, buys them dinner, gets them and their families pregame passes, visits them just before kickoff and gets them the best seats in the stadium.
In the playoffs, Tebow led the Broncos to an improbable and exciting win over the Pittsburgh Steelers but his Cinderella story was cut short by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, who defeated the Broncos in a 45-10 one-sided blowout. Although he lost to arguably one of the best teams in football, Tebow has proven his worth to the Denver Broncos and has been named the starting quarterback for the Broncos next year.
How a new year of exciting and ground-breaking gameplay with Tim Tebow will pan out remains to be seen, but it is sure to bring in the big bucks for the NFL.