Tebow is Growing on Me

I have never been a Tim Tebow fan. Being a University of Georgia football fan, he has tortured me for years. Sure he didn't do much in either game against the Dawgs in 2006 or 2007, but 55 total TD's led him to the Heisman in 2007 as a Sophomore. Every where you turned, he was constantly in the headlines, but not for the normal reasons that surround college athletes. No, Tim Tebow in fact was perfect in every way. We learned that prior to college he spent three summers volunteering in the Philippines with his dad's orphanage. We learned that he was a virgin. We learned that he single-handedly could cure disease in those that were sick.

In 2008 he finished 3rd in the Heisman but led the 7th ranked Gators to a 49-10 rout over the 8th ranked Dawgs. Then in 2009 the Gators piled it on the Dawgs again, winning 41-17 on way to a 13-1 season. In the two games, he would complete 25 of 34 passes for 318 yards and 4TD's and he would run for 124 yards and 5TD's. Let me do the math for you-that's 9 TD's in two games. And if that wasn't enough, we learned that he actually spent his spring break traveling to the Philippines again. And when the Gators got stomped in the SEC Championship, we saw him break down in tears. No, Tim Tebow was not a robot, he was a perfect human.

I for one was so happy to have him gone. Call me jealous. Call me bitter, but I just couldn't stand the guy. He may be every father's dream for their daughter, but my daughter is still in diapers. And I am still young enough to remember people like this from college. We all know a person that is without fault. Everything they touch turns to gold. You either love them or you hate them. For some reason I am the latter.

So when scouts ripped him for not having the necessary tools for the NFL I was feeling pretty good about myself. Something about his failure made the world seem right. But then something happened. When he was down, he continued to work hard. He continued to say the right things. He started to change how I felt about him (cue Rocky IV speech). Maybe it was that I wanted him to taste defeat. Maybe I wanted to see how he responded to difficult situations. I'm not sure what it is, but for some reason I find myself pulling for Tebow to succeed in the NFL. How could someone called the 'Greatest College Football QB of All-Time' be an underdog in the NFL? How could no one believe in him? How come we are surprised that he has been successful in his first two NFL starts? It seems crazy but he has turned around how I think of him. It's crazier than how I am openly rooting for Michael Vick (well, that is easier -he is on my fantasy football team).

What is happening to me? First LeBron and the Heat. Then Michael Vick. Now Tim Tebow. I wish my head would stop playing tricks on me.