Tim Tebow:
Where Is He Now?
You do not have to be much of a sports fan to have heard of Tim Richard Tebow. He has obviously transcended beyond the football field. For example, he has written several, best-selling books.
I recently read “Through My Eyes”, and of course, I have to tell you my thoughts on this young man. If you don’t know anything about him, let me quickly sum it up. He is a very determined, very competitive young man, brought up in a home-schooled missionary family. He fell in love with football. He became a great high school and college football player and got a ‘cup of coffee’ or two in the NFL. While doing all this, he kept his Christian faith and values out front. This openness made him special, and somewhat controversial at the same time. The book “Through My Eyes”, with Nathan Whitaker, was Tebow’s attempt to explain how it all happened.
As is often the case with very top athletes, Tebow has older brothers (Peter and Rob) and an older sister (Katie). This often makes ‘little bro’ quite competitive. He was home-schooled, but in Florida he was allowed to participate in high school sports. His first choice of high schools did not want him to be a QB, so he transferred to Nease HS where he led the team to a state championship. He was highly sought after coming out of high school. Tebow spent a lot of time in his book detailing how he picked the University of Florida.
At Florida, he won the Heisman as a sophomore and led the team to two national championships. He got a lot of attention by putting bible verses on his eye black before his football games. He also became known for kneeling, as in prayer, after great plays. It became known as "Tebowing".
Tebow started his own charity work in college, and his Tim Tebow Foundation started in 2010. The foundation has a high ranking. The foundation’s most popular event is “A Night to Shine.” This is a prom-like night for young people with special needs. Clinton has had them.
In the book, Tebow talks a lot about his family and their Christian faith, and their missionary efforts in the Philippines. The Tebow's started an orphanage in the Philippines in 1997. Tebow talked about the advantages of being home-schooled and how he appreciates how hard his mom worked to do it.
He said, “Homeschooling helped keep our schedules flexible for sports and other activities.”
I was surprised to find that Florida allowed home-schooled students to take part in the public school’s extracurricular activities. The Tebow's lived on a farm and the kids worked hard as farm kids, but they loved it. Tebow got ‘farm strong’ as he called it, but he became a serious weight lifter as soon as his parents let him.
Tebow loved his college coach, Urban Meyer. They had a father-son relationship that seemed to be very special.
Tebow talked a lot about his belief that God had a plan for him and his passion for football and being a QB seemed to be that plan. Tebow also explained his frustration with overcoming many people’s idea that certain football positions required certain ‘body types’. (A lineman vs a DB vs a QB, etc). Tebow looks more like a fullback or a linebacker than he does a QB. He was frustrated by this stereotyping.
Denver picked Tebow in the first round of the NFL draft. He got some playing time with the Broncos getting several come-from-behind wins. The Broncos, with Tebow, got into the 2012 playoffs. After Denver acquired Peyton Manning, however, Tebow moved on to the Jets. He had a small cup of coffee with the Jets, then on to the Patriots and Eagles without any real playing time. Tebow started 16 NFL games and played in 35.
In 2016, Tebow decided to give pro baseball a try, and the Mets gave him the opportunity. He fought the fight for five years and had modest success, but never made the big club.
In 2021, the Jacksonville Jaguars, coached by Urban Meyer, gave Tebow a look as a tight end. They soon released him.
Tebow remains a football analyst and a motivational speaker. He is great at motivating himself, and others to live not just a successful life, but significant life. He likes to say, “Don’t let your fear be stronger than your faith.” And “God has a path for you, so accept it both when it is clear sailing and bad.”
Tebow is married to Demi-Leigh Nel-Perters, (Miss Universe 2017). They have no children yet, so football coaches, you have to be patient.
If you want Tebow to speak at your event, it will cost you a minimum of $35,000. Checks only please (humor). Tebow was inducted into the college HOF in 2023. It will be great fun to see what this outstanding young man does with the rest of his life.
Until next time.
