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Heisman winner Tim Tebow grounded in Christ

December 11, 2007

Tim Tebow made history on Saturday night by becoming the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy.   The Florida quarterback beat out Arkansas' Darren McFadden in a reasonably close contest.

In his acceptance speech, Tebow was thankful.   Very thankful.

During a speech that lasted less than three minutes, Tebow said the word "thank" 22 times -- one for every touchdown he rushed for this year.

Tebow thanked his coaches, his teammates, his parents, his strength coach, his siblings, his brothers-in-law, his athletic director and his school's president. He thanked God twice and also thanked his fellow Heisman finalists -- "Colt, Chase and Run DMC."

Hawaii's Colt Brennan finished third (632), Missouri's Chase Daniel came in fourth (425), Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon was fifth (178) and West Virginia quarterback Pat White took sixth (150).

Florida's coach, Urban Meyer, is thankful Tebow chose to become a Gator. Meyer said Tebow is such a perfectionist, he spends 8-10 hours each Sunday preparing for his next foe.

"You're a better coach when you're around him," Meyer said during ESPN's telecast. "You're a better football player. You're a better human. He has an electricity to him that is very rare."

Tebow's 177.9 pass efficiency is the highest among Heisman winners, but it's his running ability that draws raves.   His 22 rushing touchdowns set a single-season record in the SEC, which has seen such legendary ballcarriers as Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson and Emmitt Smith.

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His combined 51 touchdowns outpaced the offenses of 86 Division I teams. Notre Dame's entire offense produced 23 touchdowns.

He carried the ball an average of 16 times per game, rarely looking to slide or duck out to a sideline.

Tebow, the 73rd Heisman winner, joined Steve Spurrier (1966) and Danny Wuerffel (1996) as victorious Florida quarterbacks. Only Notre Dame (Angelo Bertelli, John Lujack, Paul Hornung and John Huarte) has more winners from the position.

He's a quarterback who runs over linebackers with the force of a tank. "Larry Csonka with an arm," the Miami Herald called him. But what makes the Gator sensation even more impressive is where he has his priorities and football is not even the third most important thing in his life.

“I am fortunate to have family members, coaches and teammates around who can help me stay focused on the right things for us to be successful. For me, every day includes four things: God, family, academics and football, in that order,” Tebow told the Florida Baptist Witness.

Homeschooled by missionary parents who run an orphanage in the Philippines, Tebow grew up in a Christian family. He began his walk with Christ as a 6-year-old and has regularly traveled with his family during summers to the Philippines, where he was born, to lead evangelistic crusades and minister in orphanages.

“Meeting all of those different people who have nothing and are poor gave me an appreciation for what me and my family have and provided me with the perspective of taking nothing for granted. It also allowed me to see the effect that I could have on those people. For some, the belief in Christ is all that they have and is much more important than money or material possessions,” said Tebow.

Although his college commitments prevented him from going to the Philippines this summer, Tebow told the Witness the experiences of ministering there remain with him -- and is something he will pursue in the future because “it is a valuable part of my life.”

For Tebow, staying spiritually grounded includes leading a Bible study in his apartment on Sunday nights. Attended mostly by fellow football players, Tebow said the athletes “spend time talking about the Lord.”

He regularly speaks at schools and delivered his message of faith at a prison in Florida earlier this year.

"Tim Tebow is the real American hero," said Tebow's high school football coach, Craig Howard. "He's the real deal."

The legend of Tebow started at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., where he once finished a game playing on a broken leg.

He grew up as a Gator fan. It's no surprise, then, that former Gator quarterback and 1996 Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel is Tebow's role model, both on and off the field.

“I saw how he treated people and learned to treat everyone how I wanted to be treated,” Tebow said. “He was such a positive role model both on the field, academically and spiritually and would always make time for people by signing autographs, taking pictures with them ... .”

Today, Wuerffel, who quarterbacked NFL's Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints, leads Desire Street Ministries in New Orleans, which seeks to rebuild impoverished neighborhoods through spiritual and community development.

When reminded that Florida's three Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks have all been sons of preachers, Urban Meyer grinned and answered, “If you know any others that are out there, let me know about them.”

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