The news coverage of Tim Tebow is beginning to bother me. His name is everywhere… on every sports channel… in every sports section and argued between many sports enthusiasts. If you don’t know him by now, you just aren’t plugged in. As a quarterback at the University of Florida and now of the Denver Broncos, he has consistently demonstrated an exceptional competitive spirit and an uncanny ability to step up his performance in the most critical moments. Who he is on and off the field draws either great admiration or hard hitting critique from the media, pundants and fans. Some elevate him to an almost devine status while others can’t wait for Tebow to have a total meltdown as a player and as a man. Recently, everyone was reacquainted with the fact that Tebow is, after all, human, as he and the Denver Broncos fell to the legendary Tom Brady led Patriots. It’s not the over-the-top news coverage about Tebow that bothers me, his sometimes ugly come-from-behind wins are nothing if not news worthy. It’s not even the extreme nature of the critiques that annoy me; it’s what is not being talked about that is so troublesome.
After his 6th win in a row… a reporter asked him, “Do you think this was your best game?” He said something to the effect of, “DT had an awesome game, the offensive line played great, my teammates make me look a lot better than I really am.” His humility tangibly and poignantly contrasted with a sports world that is so often dominated by ego-maniacal, self promoting personalities. But, that’s not what was so remarkable to me. Many athletes will feign such comments in a mechanical effort to bolster the value of their personal brands, trying to endear themselves to the media, their teammates or fans for self-gain. What was so remarkable to me was that Tebow said it with such clarity, such fluidity, such sincerity. He said it so naturally. Perhaps this is simply because he is actually a humble man… perhaps just like football, he has been practicing humility since he was a child.
This is the bullseye for which we parents, coaches and teachers should be aiming. This is the message we should be shouting from the mountaintops to our young boys, because unfortunately pop culture and the media aren’t going to do it for us. The message is not that Tim Tebow is great role model, although he may very well be. The remarkable message is that in conjunction with practicing the multitude of football skills necessary to play in the NFL, he has undoubtedly practiced humility countless times before he found himself the intrigue of the media, fans and commentators. I have no doubt that a young Tim Tebow was surrounded with some combination of family, coaches, teachers and mentors who systematically and consistently encouraged him to practice this virtue of humility.
This type of humility is not natural. It is grafted into the character of a man over decades, one small success, one experience, and often one painful failure at a time. This form of humility is the result of swimming upstream against one’s own childish ego time after time. It takes root in the form of emotional restraint, when one builds the strength to harness his desire to be recognized for personal greatness in order to elevate the value of others. Time’s plow cultivates a wisdom that reminds us that we are “players in” but not the “centers of” the circumstances that surround us. What ultimately blossoms is a humility which recognizes our own potential and responsibility to lift others above ourselves, even as the spotlight turns its tantalizing rays towards us.
The great Roman statesman, Cicero, said:
“Virtue is what happens when wise and courageous choices have become second nature.”
Tebow, in a small way, demonstrates this “virtue” but even moreso, examplifies the fruits of many, dedicated teachers, coaches and family who encouraged a child to put aside his “first nature” and pursue a life of virtue that includes humility. I am certain that it did not at first come natural for Tebow, but at some point became more clear, more fluid, more sincere within him. Fast forward to last week when the words fell from his mouth like a river falls over the edge of a cliff. He said it as if nature had just created him that way.
As parents, coaches, teachers and mentors, we ought to direct our boy’s attentions to famous men like Tebow, and also to those less famous who have practiced putting aside their childish fears, egos, and uncontrolled emotions in order to pursue lives with greater meaning, greater value, greater virtue. Millions of boys in sports aspire to be great athletes and we should encourage this pursuit of great-ness. Yet, very few of these boys recognize that they have an incredible potential to be great men, men of virtue, men of humility. Plant these seeds within your sons, your players, your students. Challenge them; encourage them; nourish them and perhaps a remarkable Tebow-like blossom may someday spring forth from them.
