I first heard this criticism on air from Kordell Stewart, once a second-round pick of the Steelers, who in his first two NFL seasons was called "Slash" because he was a quarterback/running back/receiver. So how was Tebow, who relied on his read-option running as much as his throwing, getting this opportunity? Because he was so wildly popular with a huge demographic? For years, the NFL had routinely rejected dual-threat Black quarterbacks because they weren’t great pocket-passers. (Photo By Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images)Īs if religion alone weren't incendiary enough, Tebow unwittingly added fuel to this wildfire by becoming the most successful white running quarterback ever. The image of the Broncos quarterback "Tebowing" became a hot-button issue. The left-handed Tim Tebow became the face of the Religious Right, the poster boy for Evangelical Christians … and for many fans who believed otherwise, he became the insufferable captain of the in-your-face God Squadders. From my coworkers on and off camera I heard: "It’s like he’s trying to force his religion down my throat … like if I don’t believe exactly what he believes, I’m going to hell." He ended interviews with "God bless," and you could almost hear the eyes rolling among many media members who did not believe what Tebow believed.įor those reporters and commentators, this became explosively controversial. He kneeled in prayer after scoring - "Tebowing," it was called, often derisively. Tebow often used his football platform to share how important his faith was to him - "witnessing" as he was taught to do. He even had a Bible verse (John 3:16) inscribed in the streaks of black he wore under his eyes during games. In postgame interviews, many athletes have "given all the glory to God" or thanked their "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." But perhaps no star athlete has worn his or her religion on his or her sleeve the way Tebow did. Tebow was born in the Philippines to missionary parents who raised him to do exactly what Jesus taught his disciples (many of them fishermen) to do in the New Testament: be "fishers of men," to spread God’s word by sharing their testimonies with non-believers. Yes, a boring interview became a national media magnet - and the hottest debate-show topic ever - because of religion and race and the mold-shattering way in which he won football games. The greatest (and saddest) irony of Tebow’s career is that he somehow became the most controversial lightning rod in (I believe) sports history. (Photo By Joe Amon/The Denver Post via Getty Images) No matter where Tebow went, a very vocal segment of fans would always call him for play. Tim Tebow worked crazy hard at football and played it as crazy hard as anyone who ever pulled on a helmet and shoulder pads. Did he break the law or team rules? No, he was a model citizen and a perfectly boring interview who worked at saying nothing and avoiding controversy. Was he injured? No, he was remarkably durable. 14, 2012, was the last NFL game Tebow was ever allowed to start. No shame losing that badly to Brady and Belichick. That miraculous run ended just six days after Tebow threw for 316 yards in that playoff win, with the Broncos having to travel on a short week to New England, where Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and the 13-3 Patriots waited, coming off a bye. In 2011, Tebow led the NFL in QBR in the last five minutes of games. In those 12 games, Tebow accomplished the greatest sustained run of clutch late-game playmaking by any quarterback ever. In Tebow’s second season, he got thrown into a 1-4 dumpster fire and somehow lifted the Broncos to an AFC West championship and an overtime playoff victory over Ben Roethlisberger’s Steelers. Tebow was a first-round pick - taken 25th overall by a highly respected offensive mind, Josh McDaniels, who had coached and called plays for Tom Brady. Tebow, pictured accepting the 2007 Heisman Trophy with Florida coach Urban Meyer, was one of the most decorated quarterbacks in college football history.
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