The original, snarky opening line of this column was going to be: “As a sports columnist, I’m obligated to write about Tim Tebow.”
It didn’t take long to realize, though, that writing about Tebow was not an act of obligation but of inspiration.
Everybody seems to have weighed in on the Denver Broncos’ quarterback, who has done some incredible things on the football field while exhibiting a vigorously overt Christian spirituality.
Among other accomplishments on the gridiron, Tebow has proven himself to be a master of “The Option” – an offensive system that necessitates elite athleticism and decision-making skills on the part of the quarterback.
The Option is a running offense that often puts quarterbacks, like Tebow, directly in harm’s way. And that’s just the beginning.
The real point of discussion about Tebow is his religion – the man’s genuineness when it comes to spirituality has been debated to the point of ridiculousness.
It’s an issue that’s especially poignant for me, because I happen to believe in the same tri-person God – Father/Son/Spirit, or GM/Coach/Offensive Coordinator, if you will – that Tebow does. So does Johnathan Franklin.
“He’s a role model to believers and non-believers,” said the UCLA running back, one of the football team’s more openly Christian athletes. “It takes a lot of faith to do what he has.”
I’ve watched a LOT of Tebow footage, whether it be highlight reels or press conference soundbites.
The idea that a spiritual force is intervening to help him break tackles or complete passes is silly, but the thing about Tebow is that he’s operating with an unreal amount of poise and confidence that stems from his faith.
What makes the man so endearing is that he’s been the same way at every level of exposure. I believe that the guy you see in the NFL is the same guy you would’ve seen had you attended his Pop Warner games.
That’s one of the most inspiring things about Tebow to me: It’d be a lot easier to share my faith in this column space if it was just my mom and girlfriend reading (which might be the case anyway, it usually is).
But the more intense the microscope, the more trepidation is involved in living out your beliefs, especially when it comes to religion.
“(Tebow’s) allowing God to use him as an example, on that platform,” Franklin said.
“The way he’s been able to resist temptations and remain steadfast in his beliefs is just evidence of how God’s doing something great with him.”
What can’t get lost in this is that Tebow’s actions aren’t just inspirational for the Christian community that Franklin and I belong to.
The fact that a professional athlete playing the most important position in sports remains so convicted in his beliefs should be encouraging to anybody who feels strongly about anything.
Look at UCLA’s own history; arguably the most famous Bruin of all time – Lew Alcindor – changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to reflect his Islamic faith.
“Guys like Tebow don’t come along very often,” Franklin said. “It’s very encouraging for a guy like me to see that he’s capable of living out his faith in a professional sports environment.”
This isn’t to say that living out your faith and your beliefs should be based on a desire to mimic the actions of others. But a guy like Tebow just has such an infectious and healthy confidence that he inspires people like me and Johnathan Franklin.
I understand that it’s easier for us to be drawn to Tebow because we share similar beliefs, but I don’t think that the lessons learned from his stance and character are exclusive to Christianity. Or football.
Regardless of what he does on the football field for the rest of his career, Tebow should remain a role model. Some have chosen to deride his openness, but we also have the choice to embrace it, to apply it.
That’s the option I’m running with.