I am and will always be an Ohio State Buckeye fan. I was born and raised in a Buckeye household by parents who were born into the Buckeye lifestyle. From tailgating to jumping on the couch in 2002 while suffering through the bitter grind of the The Ohio State Buckeyes run to the National Championship, I have been swelled to the gills with Buckeye pride. I have always been proud of the achievements of Archie Griffin, college footballs one and only two-time Heisman Trophy winner. In 2007 when the University of Florida’s Tim Tebow became the first Sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, I feared Archie’s reign could be over. Ever since, I have been silently cheering for all things not Tim Tebow. The incredible seasons put together by Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, and Graham Harrell began to ease the fear growing inside my gut. no-one deserves the privilege of standing along-side the immortal Archie Griffin, certainly not a Florida Gator!.
Meanwhile, something else had been bothering me about Tim Tebow. The more I learned about him, the more I liked him. I began reading about mission trips he had taken to impoverished countries. I also remember seeing documentaries on his visits to Florida jails, where he preached to the inmates a message of hope and compassion. All the time, I had been thinking “this is a pretty good guy, why didn’t he come to Ohio State?”
I watched Tim Tebow last night at the ESPNU College Football Awards as he accepted the Disney Spirit Award, given for exemplary service off the field. This award does not get the notoriety of the Heisman Trophy, but has marked some historic times. In 2001 the award was given to all three service academies, Air Force, Army, and Navy, to honor the sacrifices that were being made after 9/11. In 2005, following Katrina’s devastation of the Gulf Coast, the award went to Tulane University for its perseverance in the face of seemingly impossible conditions. This year, Tebow was recognized for his humanitarian work in the Philippines and his countless hours spent preaching to inmates and orphans a message of hope and compassion. During his acceptance, Tebow spoke with conviction.
“This means a lot, especially for me it means more than winning the Heisman or those (other) awards because it’s about what I do off the field, and that’s more important.”
It was a moving moment, one which in which an Ohio State Buckeye could be proud of. My feelings about him were conflicting within something that was deeply ingrained. After his acceptance he was asked about being a role model to which he replied,
“There are so many athletes today that say, ‘I’m not a role model, I’m not a role model,’ and they make so many excuses. Well, whether you like it or not, you are a role model. You’re either a good one or a bad one, and unfortunately most of them are bad role models today. For me, I just want to be a good role model, like Danny Wuerffel was for me and several other guys that I looked up to. I want to be someone that kids can look up to in today’s society.”
Oh no. There he goes. The change is full fledged, so I have to say it.
It is leaders like Tim Tebow that can and will make a difference in the days trying times. He has changed my mind about the exclusive Heisman Trophy club. I would be proud to see him and Archie Griffin standing alone as legends of the game of football. Tebow goes well beyond football and presents himself as an even better person than he is a football player. From a selfish standpoint, I would like to see him come back for his Senior year and take acrack a possible third Heisman and more importantly a second Disney Spirit Award.
