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A Humble Side

Photo from Bob Tebow

Tim Tebow has made three trips to the Philippines, speaking to crowds about hope and faith, and playing with orphaned children. The first trip was a homecoming of sorts; Tebow was born in Manila while his parents were on a mission trip.

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By JOE HENDERSON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 7, 2007

Photo Gallery | Comment, Heisman Trophy Poll

Bob and Pam Tebow didn't raise their son to be a football hero. It wasn't important to them because, as Bob put it, "Our goals weren't just typical goals."

Their son, like his four older siblings, would put his God and service before anything. He would have a larger view but never forget what an individual's touch can mean to those in need. His game plan would come straight from Deuteronomy 6:5 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Their son would make a difference in the fields of the world.

On Saturday night, 20-year-old Tim Tebow may well win the Heisman Trophy, given to college football's top individual player - high irony for someone coached from birth to put others first.

But those who know him only as the head-first charging quarterback at the University of Florida may be surprised to learn of his trips to work with orphans in the Philippines or his visit last spring to a prison in Lake Butler to preach a message of purpose and hope to inmates.

"There's an air of humility about him, but he has that unseen confidence of someone infused by a power that is not his," family friend Bob Williams said.

That air is not likely to be affected by suffocating fame and adulation.

"One of his favorite Bible verses says that to whom much is given, much is required," his mother said. "God has given this ability to play football and he truly feels an obligation to give back."

The Real Thing

It is not uncommon for athletes to wrap themselves in religion but Tebow doesn't do these things for show. He wears his Christianity easily and comfortably, befitting someone of such deep commitment, and he backs it up with actions and proof of a life well-lived.

Without outside fanfare in April, he accepted an invitation from Williams to join the Crusade For Christ on a visit to the Lake Butler Reception and Medical Center - a prison in North Florida that houses inmates from petty thieves to murderers.

"It was an awesome day for me," Tebow said. "After doing it, I have a heart for it and want to keep doing it. We had a phenomenal time. I loved having an opportunity to share."

Tebow spoke at two sessions of prisoners gathered on an outdoor recreation field.

"He had the group captivated while he talked to them. They paid very close attention," warden Martha Humphries said. "They know who he is, but they were fascinated by what he was saying. To be as young as he is, to hear him speak and listen to what he had to say and the way he carried himself was very impressive."

Williams said Tebow flashed the ring he won last season after Florida's national championship victory over Ohio State.

"He told them he had an SEC ring and one day he was going to get a Super Bowl ring, but that none of those things were important if they didn't recognize Jesus Christ as their lord and savior," Williams said. "Those men were there because they had made a wrong choice, but Tim told them there was good news. They could make a better choice."

Some inmates came forward to pray. Others lingered to talk with Tebow and have him sign the Bible they were presented that day. Williams said he waited until the last man was done.

"He was a very down-to-earth, good young man," Humphries said. "He is just one of those folks that when you meet him, you're taken with the fact he is humble. He's very impressive."

Humphries is a longtime Florida State Seminoles fan but she became a convert of sorts that day.

"I'm still a Seminole fan but now I'm a Tim Tebow fan as well," she said.

Mission Trips

Among other things, the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association trains people to preach - including, of course, Bob Tebow's five children. When they turn 15 they are sent to the Philippines with their father and others on a five-week mission trip.

For Tim, that first trip was a homecoming of sorts: He was born in Manila while his parents were on a mission trip there.

During these trips, the Tebows become used to speaking in front of large crowds several times a day. During one such visit, his mother estimated, Tim spoke to more than 30,000 people about his faith and hope.

They visit prisons, hospitals, local churches and Uncle Dick's Home, an orphanage at the far southern end of the island nation. The home, which was founded by Tebow's father in 1991, is named for the late Richard Fowler, a family friend who also was closely involved in the project.

Tim Tebow has made three trips there. The orphans don't know him as a football star, only as someone who plays with them, talks with them and cares for them.

"I think I get the most joy out of going to the orphanage. A lot of their stories are heart-breaking and once you get to know the kids, it's staggering to think how much they've been through and yet how happy they are," he said. "That joy is catching, and I just love being around them."

That joy flows both ways.

"When you have that many people care for you because of who you are and not because you score touchdowns, it gives you confidence," Pam Tebow said. "Tim's life is not totally wrapped up in football or awards. We have a lot of things going on that are more important in the scheme of life."

Because of football obligations at UF, Tebow has been unable to go for the last couple of years but, he said, "I'm trying to squeeze a trip in during spring break next year."

Using A Platform

Tim Tebow was a celebrity at UF before he ever played a game at the school after signing out of Ponte Vedra Nease High School near Jacksonville. Like his siblings, he was home-schooled, but state rules allow such students to participate in high school athletics.

He may be the most recognizable face on campus, and if he wins the Heisman, he will be the first sophomore so honored. He gets dozens of speaking requests each week, his mother said, far too many to accept them all. UF allows him to be generally available to the media, but the overwhelming interest in him now has forced the university to more closely monitor interview requests.

But he and his family welcome the attention because it allows them to get out their message. They believe there is larger purpose to everything that is happening to their son.

"Absolutely, I do," Bob Tebow said. "I tried to give him a vision early that if he worked hard and became a successful quarterback, he would have an amazing platform for Christ. Now he gets so many invitations I don't even begin to keep track of them.

"It's also a lot about the dearth of really great role models and heroes. You look at the sports world, business world, or name the world, and you see people who are compromised. When you see someone like Timmy who is walking straight, that's when a parent says, 'That's who you want to be like.'"

It is said, though, that character is who you are when no one is watching. During the week leading up to the recent Florida-Florida State game, Bob Tebow passed on a message to his son. A 9-year-old cancer patient in Tampa loved watching Tim play. The boy's parents asked for a photo and maybe an autograph.

He got a lot more - a personal phone call from his favorite player.

"Tim didn't tell us about it though," Bob Tebow said. "I heard about it from other people: the boy's crying grandmother, a crying friend, so many people. They told me that Tim had called and really encouraged the boy and how he has become more determined to fight now. I think that's better than scoring a touchdown against FSU."

Reporter Joe Henderson can be reached at (813) 259-7861 or jhenderson@tampatrib.com.

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