Miracle man Tebow divides opinions

ON Monday morning Twitter spiked with 9,420 tweets per second about him.

YouTube’s search engines struggled to cope with the demand. Facebook was overloaded with pages giving homage and abuse in equal measures.

Tim Tebow, the American footballer who has split the opinions of a nation’s gridiron fans, just threw an 80-yard overtime touchdown to knock the Pittsburgh Steelers out of this year’s Super Bowl running.

How did he celebrate? By bending on one knee and reciting a prayer to God. The pose called Tebowing.

Since before he was born there was something miraculous about him. His mother, Pam, and father, Bob, were on missionary work in the Philippines when he was born. They were expecting a stillbirth after Pam went into coma with dysentery and the placenta partially detached from the womb.

But a bouncing boy arrived, the fifth child of an evangelist family, and a life as a pastor was predicted for the youngster.

Returning to Florida, Bob, who distrusted the state-run educational system to provide his family with christian values, the children were home schooled.

They noticed something special in Tim. He had a gift when it came to playing football. A state law was passed to allow Tebow be home schooled and play for a school in 1996.

He played for Nease High and led the team to win a state title in 2005. Tebow, who finished his high school career with 9,810 passing and 3,186 rushing yards, became a top prospect. And started to split a nation.

With profile came intense analysis of his ability and lifestyle. His running game and physique were more akin to a tail back than a quarterback. But his squeaky-clean image, missionaries to the Philippines and references to God in every interview attracted cynics.

His college career was the subject of intense scrutiny. He joined coach Urban Meyer’s Florida Gators and, after an initial struggle, won the Heissman Trophy by 2007, an SEC Championship by 2008 and a Sugar Bowl victory over Cincinnati two years ago.

All that time Tebow captured the media’s fascination. He frequently wrote biblical messages in his eye black until, in his final season, the ruling body introduced a measure dubbed ‘The Tebow Rule’ and banned messages on eye paint.

And all that time his weak passing game was upheld by mad-dash running game. His critics said he would be cut from an NFL’s team roster after a season but the Denver Broncos took him in the first round.

Denver Post columnist Woody Paige praised the pick: “Tim Tremendous may be high risk, but he will be a Mile High Reward. Tebow has become the most celebrated fourth-string rookie quarterback in NFL history, the most controversial quarterback pick by the Broncos since Tommy Maddox was chosen in exactly the same spot in the first round in 1992, the most decorated player and the most determined quarterback, and the most puzzling dichotomy, in the entire draft.”

This season he admitted being a virgin, a status he will hold until marriage.

It sparked a media frenzy.

“Who would think the one thing people are talking about more than sex is a guy who doesn’t have sex?” jokes Seattle-based megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll.

On the pitch, after four losses in five games he replaced Kyle Orton at half-time against the San Diego Chargers and led the Broncos to a win from a 16-point deficit.

They won the next six games in succession. All in dramatic fashion with come-from-behind fourth quarter or overtime victories. He became the clutch quarterback of the league until Tom Brady and the New England Patriots hammered them 41-23.

Three losses followed. His detractors came back with the stats to show he was central to the defeats. From a position of play-off definites they scraped through to the wild card game on a tiebreaker.

Defeating the Steelers changed everything. He not only threw the winning pass but also hit a passing completion record for the franchise. Former players stopped criticising and started applauding. Even former quarterback and Broncos vice president John Elway, who had been slow to praise Tebow, added his voice to the growing clamour of fans.

“He really answered the bell. He came out, played great. And you know what? He pulled that trigger. He put it on the money. I love it. It’s perfect,” he said.

He got more than 1,000,000 mentions on Twitter on Monday morning. Both Tebow and his favourite Bible verse, John 3:16 which he wore in his eye paint, placed in the top three Google Trends in the US for most of Monday.

The critics remain and most think Tom Brady and the Patriots, who meet Denver in the NFL divisional play-off on Saturday night (Sky Sports 3, 9.30pm), will show him to be good, but not the great saviour he is painted out to be.

For Tebow, he’s leaving it in God’s hands.

“It’s not my job to see people’s reasons behind it, but I know [of a kid] with cancer that tweeted me, ‘Tebowing while I’m chemoing’ — how cool is that?

“That’s worth it right now. If that gives him any encouragement or puts a smile on his face, or gives him encouragement to pray, that’s completely awesome.”