Does Tim Tebow’s Faith Outshine His Athleticism?
By Tess Farrand, Contributing Writer
From Super Bowl to World Series, fans of the Christian athlete Tim Tebow could soon be seeing him on the major league baseball field.
It seems that Tebow has a wide range of skill sets when it comes to sports. This summer, the former NFL superstar (Tebow played for the New York Jets and Denver Broncos) makes headway in minor league baseball. In 2016 Tebow signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets. Two months ago he joined the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, a NY Mets affiliate team. His propensity for improvement has many debating whether his talents will land him a further career in baseball.
Tebow’s faith has been a part of headlines since his run in the NFL. The term “Tebowing” became a pop culture phenomenon during his stint with the NFL. USA Today captured a telling quote from Tebow last month, “I did it from my sophomore year in high school all the way through the NFL, that before and after games I would get on a knee and thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and also put things into perspective.”
His family values still ring true however as he recently stated, “The good thing is my parents will always believe in me no matter what, and I love that.”
Tebow mentioned in a press conference that he believes his baseball athleticism gets better with each day, but he’s committed to continuing on the path of improvement.
His optimistic outlook points both unbelieving and believing fans toward a higher sense of purpose in God. A recent article by App shows this further; “much of the love he receives is more for his personality and his religious faith than his ability on the field.”
Nadia Bukacz also commented, “I think he does a lot of good things for the community, he reaches out to other people, and God is very important to him, which I think a lot of people lose sight of nowadays.”
Daniel LoGiudice of App treads carefully on Tebow’s career advancement; “His improvement is impressive, but he’s only hit one home run during this hot streak and has struck out 95 times in 241 at-bats this season. Plus, with his birthday on August 14 rapidly approaching, he’s one of the oldest players in Double-A.”
Many sports fans have varying opinions on if Tebow will land a contract for the MLB but his fans share in his optimism; “I really think anything is possible when you’re looking at a guy who last time he played baseball was junior year in high school… and as well as he’s doing in only a year and a half since he’s been playing in the minor league system, it’s huge.”
Regardless of Tebow’s athletic career, his dedication to Jesus as his priority will always be his highest achievement.
For more insight into Tim Tebow’s faith and athletic journey, be sure to check out Movieguide®’s documentary review of TIM TEBOW: ON A MISSION