Tim Tebow spoke to a crowd at Trinity Fellowship Church in Amarillo on Friday, March 22, for “The Go Long Experience” fundraiser, which was held by Faith City Ministries.
Tim Tebow is well known for his religious beliefs and “good ol’ boy” personality. Taylor Huntley, executive director for the “Go Long Experience” at Faith City Ministries, said that having someone like Tim Tebow is great because he shares the same beliefs.
“It’s really cool to have Tim Tebow with Faith City [Ministries] because Faith City [Ministries] is Christian-based,” Huntley said. “Something that would be really great for Faith City is bringing someone who does have the same beliefs as us and is willing to help us with a fundraiser.”
Faith City Ministries is a Christian-based local organization in Amarillo that not only uses their donations to feed the homeless population, but sometimes serve as a shelter and provides clothing for the less fortunate. They also have a program that helps enrich the people that come in with addictions, regardless of the substance.
Preparing for somebody with the caliber of Tim Tebow is no small task, but the volunteers of the event said the partnership between Trinity Fellowship Church and Faith City Ministries were great in taking care of Tim Tebow and his audience.
“It was a lot of fun,” Amber McGarry, a volunteer for the event, said. “Everything was so organized, and we all worked together. The people who were the main planners had it all put together so that when we came in everybody knew exactly where they were supposed to go. It was just a lot of fun, we are just glad we got to do it.”
Tebow spoke about everything from his childhood, his University of Florida playing days and his trips to the Philippines. Jena Taylor, executive director of Faith City Ministries, and local news anchor, Andy Justus, were emceeing the event and asked questions to the current Jets quarterback.
One of the first questions they asked Tebow was about the black strips under his eyes that said “John 3:16.” Tebow said that when he was playing at the University of Tennessee in his junior year he decided to put “Phil. 4:13” on the black strips. Florida kept winning but Tim Tebow then wanted to switch it to “John 3:16.”
“I told my parents I wanted to change it, and my mom was all for it, but my dad asked ‘have you told coach yet?’ and I said ‘I am telling him tomorrow,’” Tebow said. “If you know coach [Urban Meyer] he says he isn’t superstitious, but he is. I told coach Meyer and he says ‘Tim are you crazy? Philippians 4:13 is what got us here!’”
Florida won the national championship that year.
Tebow also recalled his 95-yard drive against the Jets as a Bronco, his “greatest Jets highlight yet.”
When asked about his competitive drive, Tebow cited the fact that he grew up the youngest of five siblings as the reason.
“Being the baby of five siblings, you have to be competitive,” Tebow said. “Being a good teammate is just finding a way to win the game.”
In 2010, Tim Tebow was selected twenty-fifth overall by the Denver Broncos to start his NFL career. Tim Tebow sat on the bench his first year and only came in on goal line plays. He scored his first rushing and passing touchdowns in such play packages. In 2011, Tebow got his chance to sweep the NFL by storm. The Broncos started the season 1-4, and playing at home against the San Diego Chargers. Incumbent quarterback Kyle Orton was playing poorly and the fans were chanting for Tebow to go in. The Broncos still lost the game, but Tebow almost erased a 16-point deficit as he scored a touchdown both rushing and passing.
The Broncos started Tebow for the remainder of the season. During that time span the Broncos went 7-3, finishing 8-8 and first place in the AFC West and clinching a playoff berth.
“Tebowmania”, as Tebow’s popularity was called in the NFL, went into the January playoffs. Tim Tebow and the Broncos were playing the Steelers in Denver and the game went into overtime. On the first pass from scrimmage, fellow 2010 first round pick wide receiver Demaryius Thomas caught a pass from Tebow and took it 80-yards for a touchdown and the Broncos won 29-23.
“That was just a story of a team believing in each other,” Tebow said.
When asked about what made him develop a passion for helping the less fortunate, Tebow said that he doesn’t want his legacy to be that he was an NFL quarterback.
“The lives I impact mean everything to me,” Tebow said. “That is the legacy I want. You don’t have to be a football player to be a role model or a leader. Someone is watching you, and you are their role model.”
Tim Tebow’s final piece of advice was among the strongest of his messages. He talked about his junior year at Florida and said that head coach Urban Meyer continued to preach to the players that the number one priority of the season was to finish strong. So with every football practice and preparation they wanted to finish strong. The signal caller did just that as he was talking to the audience and left them with the “finish strong” advice.
“I thought it was great.” Emily Ruhl, an Education major, said. “I had never been in [Trinity Fellowship Church], and I was really excited, and [Faith City Ministries] really set the mood. I really liked his speech about finishing strong. That made me get teary eyed, it was really great.”
Tim Tebow is currently on the roster of the New York Jets and it is still uncertain whether or not he will be on the Jets or on another team next season.
“I don’t know what my future holds for me, but I know who holds my future,” Tebow said on the subject.
