On Monday, the National Football Foundation announced that Former University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this year.
"Hard to put into words right now. Just incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity and all who helped make it possible!! All glory to God," Tebow wrote on Twitter in response to the news.
Hard to put into words right now. Just incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity and all who helped make it possible!! All glory to God 🙌🏼 https://t.co/NU1oynKFjc
— Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) January 10, 2023
Tebow, an outspoken Christian, will be the 13th Gator and 10th Florida player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame. He joins a class of 18 former college players and four coaches who will be inducted at the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 5, 2023, at the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas.
"We are extremely proud to announce the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class," NFF Chairman and 1989 College Football Hall of Famer Archie Manning said in a press release. "Each of these men has established himself among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to immortalizing their incredible accomplishments."
As reported by CBN News, Tebow was the first college sophomore to win the coveted Heisman Trophy, which he won in 2007. He was also named a finalist for the award in 2008 and 2009.
While playing for the University of Florida, Tebow led his team to two national championships, one in 2006 and the other in 2008.
The quarterback rose to fame as Tebow made his faith known publicly within games. During the National Championship Game in 2009, he painted John 3:16 with black ink under his eyes. The move resulted in John 3:16 being googled 90 million times after the game, according to Seedbed.
During his three seasons as a quarterback for the Denver Broncos, Tebow made it a practice to kneel and pray. The tradition was called "Tebowing." According to Tebowing.com, Tebowing is described as "to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different."
Outside of his professional sports career, Tebow launched the Tim Tebow Foundation in 2010, which serves orphaned children and those with special needs. It also provides medical supplies to those in need and works toward ending human trafficking.
Last March, Tebow released his first devotional titled Mission Impossible: Go Create a Life That Counts. At the time, he told CBN News that his book was meant to encourage others to live a life of purpose.
"I believe every single one of us can truly have a life that counts because as long as we have breath, we have a purpose," he said. "And the God of this universe has created us all unique, all different, but all with a plan and with a purpose. And I believe it is a mission."
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Scott Halleran/Staff
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
