Tebow as great a role model as they come

Athletes taking the role of heroes have always been a fabric of Americana. And they’ve never lacked individuality.

They’ve emerged as the subject of incredible comeback stories, defied physics with their athleticism, made us chuckle at their off-field antics and even disappointed us with bad decisions.

But of all of these idols, the city of Gainesville may currently have the best one.

Sure he’s barely past his teen years, and he needs to attend his biology class to even be able to practice, but Tim Tebow is as heroic as they come.

And that’s not just the mentality in Gainesville — where a halfway successful quarterback is put on a pedestal because of the importance of football in the area. Tebow’s stock grosses nationwide.

Bottom line: the Florida quarterback-built-like-a-linebacker is everywhere — whether it’s football fields across the U.S., studio appearances on primetime shows or even third-world countries trying to give a helping hand.

And, despite his age, he’s everything a role model should embody: extremely talented on the field, a charitable person off of it and as cool a customer under pressure as you will ever see.

Most impressively, he takes in all that worldwide acclaim with the humility of a priest and the ease of a million-dollar smile.

Plus, as the Web site timtebowfacts.com says: Tim Tebow CAN believe it’s not butter; Tim Tebow has counted to infinity … twice; and, Superman wears Tim Tebow pajamas.

A super talent between the hash marks
You had a feeling Tebow was a special player from the moment he stepped onto the scene at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Remember that night, during the season opener in 2006? Urban Meyer brought the freshman in for one play in a goal line situation. Soon thereafter, about half of the capacity crowd at The Swamp was booing Chris Leak — a fourth-year starter — when he can back into his well-deserved role as the starting quarterback.

Tebow went on to rush for 469 yards that season, and his 5.3 yards per carry were second in the nation among quarterbacks. Oh yeah, he also played a critical role in the two-quarterback system with Leak, accounted for two touchdowns in the national championship game and took home the BCS trophy as a teenager.

So what does he do for an encore? How about throw for over 3,000 yards, complete almost 67 percent of his passes, rush for nearly 900 yards and combine for 55 touchdowns on his way to a Heisman Trophy — all of that with a bruised shoulder and a broken hand.

Just as spectacular off the field
Tebow is so perfect it almost makes you sick.

Seriously. Not only is he a superhuman athlete, but he’s a superhuman person.
He still isn’t very comfortable talking about himself, is perhaps the hardest worker at Florida, never badmouths coaches or teammates and, for goodness sake, he’s an incredibly devout Christian.

This spring break, while most college students were partying it up in Cancun or sun bathing in Miami, Tebow was in the Philippines circumcising children.

He’s Mother Teresa with Venus Williams’ athleticism; Mike Tyson with John F. Kennedy’s likability; Mahatma Gandhi with Michael Jordan’s competitiveness.
It isn’t even fair, to be honest.

New heights still to be reached
Think the 6-foot-3 quarterback reached the pinnacle last year?

Think again.

Tebow’s success in 2007 came in what was deemed a rebuilding year for the Gators. This season, he will have perhaps the best group of receivers in the nation in Percy Harvin, Louis Murphy, Cornelius Ingram and redshirt freshman Deonte Thompson — who will turn some heads. Moreover, Tebow may finally have a decent running game, which will take a whole lot of pressure off his legs and make him a lot fresher towards the latter part of the season. University of Southern California transfer Emmanuel Moody will join Chris Rainey and Kestahn Moore for a likely platoon in the backfield that will give Tebow as close to a dominant running game as he’s ever had.

But the southpaw QB has already reached the mountain top in college football with the Heisman and BCS Championship trophies going into his junior year.

So what’s left to do?
How about winning them both in the same season?
I sure wouldn’t doubt him. Besides, Life doesn’t give Tim Tebow lemons. Life asks him which fruit he wants. §

Alden Gonzalez is a freelance writer and associate reporter for MLB.com, living in Miami. He may be contacted at Alden@towerpublications.com.

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