OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former Florida Gators standout quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner, and playoff champion NFL star Tim Tebow moved a crowd to tears with a heartfelt, moving acceptance speech after receiving the Sports Impact Award at the K-LOVE Fan Awards in Nashville.
The awards show, which was held in late May, saw Tebow take the opportunity to thank God for his success and talk about how influential Christianity has been in his life.
“Guys, I just want you to be encouraged because I know it gets hard for so many of you, but you inspire so many people, and I want you to keep going because you have no idea the impact that you’re making on so many people around the world,” Tebow said, going on to explain how inspiring others makes a difference in the lives of other people.
“You inspire people. You know what inspire means? It means to fill someone with the urge to do something, and you do that. You fill people with the urge to want to follow Jesus, and don’t stop that. That’s why what you are doing matters. That’s why being here matters,” he noted.
He then talked about a life-changing event that he experienced when he was 15 and met a boy in a Philippine jungle. The boy was born with his “feet on backward,” Tebow said.
In pained verbiage and as tears welled up in his eyes, he said, “And because of that, his village viewed him as cursed, as insignificant, as a throwaway. But that day, I knew he wasn’t a throwaway to God … and he better not be a throwaway to me.”
The speech moved others to tears in the audience as people applauded him.
“Because ultimately, there is only one MVP, and he died on a cross on a rescue mission for humanity, and he has commanded us to go defend the weak, protect the poor and go after those that are hurting,” he continued.
In September, CBS Sports reported that Tebow engages in an annual event for charity: He auctions off his Heisman Trophy and donates the proceeds.
The outlet noted:
During his time at Florida, Tim Tebow got his name in the record books, won two national championships and earned the 2007 Heisman Trophy. Said trophy, however, is not actually in his home. The former NFL player, now college football analyst, has been auctioning it off to raise money for charity.
In an interview with the Dan Patrick Show, Tebow talked about how the idea got started and the journey the trophy has been through. The last client was a high-profile figure, and also a little mischievous.
“It just left Luke Bryan’s house,” Tebow said when Patrick asked him where the trophy was. “Luke Bryan, the country singer…Leading up to Florida-Georgia, because he is such a Georgia fan, he would put a Georgia jersey on it. He would put peanut butter on it and let his dog lick it off. He would do all sorts of stuff and I was like, this isn’t fair.”
Tebow said Bryan sent him several photos and videos, leading him to decide to get a little revenge. The former NFL and college standout asked Bryan’s wife to help him obtain of the country star’s CMA Artist of Year Awards, and she came through.
“I started sending him videos of me using it as like a sparkling water opener or a jack for a car to lift it up,” Tebow recounted. “We kept going back and forward. I think CMA got upset by it. I didn’t actually hurt it, it just looked like we were using it that way.”
He told Patrick that over the years, he had raised about $1 million with his Heisman auctions, adding that the trophy gets a new home every 6-12 months.
“Why have it in your garage when it can be in someone else’s living room and now a lot kids are being helped with it?” he said. “My goal with that is it could be the most impactful Heisman one day, not by sitting on a shelf and just looking at it, but by being on a bunch of other people’s shelves and making an impact in a lot of kids’ lives.”
