Former NFL star and current SEC analyst Tim Tebow has been hailed as a good role model for his fans on and off the football field. However, Tebow has some words of advice for those who get carried away with their idolisation of certain people and things.
"We choose to idolise certain things, and love certain things," Tebow told the Montgomery Adviser. "And I'm not saying it's wrong to love sports, I love them as much as anybody. But do we choose to really see what matters?"
Sometimes people get so caught up with their fantasies that they forget things that are really important. As an example, he shared a story where he hosted a gala for the Tim Tebow Foundation. Three "wish girls" from his foundation went on dates with popular athletes such as former NFL star Deion Sanders, boxer Evander Holyfield, and gold-medalist skier Lindsey Vonn.
Instead of the night being all about the girls who bravely battled cancer, Tebow said the media were actually more focused on their partners. In turn, the girls faded into the background and their inspiring success stories were overshadowed by their celebrity dates.
"And I was thinking, 'How messed up is this?'" Tebow said. "All these men and women that are celebrities, they're awesome, they're good friends of mine. They do a lot. And everyone was idolising these men and women, and nobody was paying attention to these three girls. I think all of them would agree, these three girls have more character, heart and determination to fight through what they had fought through than any one of those celebrities. And I was watching it, and it so struck me, 'This is what matters. This is what we should be focusing on.'"
