So, occasionally I go off topic here at Reflections and usually it involves the Florida Gators (see here and here) This evening I’m taking time to congratulate Florida quarterback Tim Tebow on his Heisman Trophy win. I watched the hour long spectacle (which was a bit much) with my father and was even more impressed with Tebow and his family than I was before. His priorities are #1 his faith and relationship with God, 2) family, 3) academics and 4) football. It was refreshing to see an awards ceremony in which the winner first thanked and recognized his “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” for blessing him with such talent and ability (**See note below):

He was homeschooled by missionary parents who run an orphanage in the Philippines. He teaches Sunday school and has preached for his Dad’s ministry. He says he wants people to look at him and see something great, not because he’s a great football player, but because he has a relationship with Christ. Actually this evening was more of a highlight of Tim’s faith than his athletic ability. The most interesting part of the whole thing for me was finding that his mother, who got sick while she was pregnant with him in the Philippines, was pressured to have an abortion. She mentioned it in a little family background video about him that played before the winner was announced and Tim mentions it in this interview:

Tebow the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman and for good reason. This season he ran for 22 touchdowns and threw for 29. He’s got 838 yds. on the ground and 3,132 in the air, completing 68% of his passes. He sweats Gatorade and his tears have the ability cure cancer, well that may not be true, but the rest is. He joins former quarterbacks Steve Spurior and his childhood hero Danny Wuerffel as the only Florida players to win the Heisman. On and off the field he’s quite an impressive young man. Here’s a highlight video of his 2007 season:

This has been another edition of the SEC, a story of character. A story that would have never been told if his mother had listened to the advice of her doctors.

Tebow may become an all-time great

**The ESPN videos are apparently no longer available. Watch this YouTube video instead – which includes Pam Tebow’s testimony on the doctors advising her to have an abortion: