Watch: Tim Tebow celebrates World Down Syndrome Day in the best way possible
Tim Tebow might be working hard to make it to the major leagues, but he’ll always have time to bring smiles to his fans’ faces.
However, a smile wasn’t the only reaction the former Florida Gators star quarterback elicited when he paid one of his biggest fans, who has Down syndrome, a surprise visit.
On Wednesday, Tebow re-posted a video of himself going to see Michael, one of his “amazing friends” and a huge Gators fan. The video was originally posted by the Tim Tebow Foundation in December 2017, but Tebow decided to re-post it on his social media accounts in honor of World Down Syndrome Day, which was March 21.
“I’m about to surprise Michael. He’s a huge Gator fan and he is an awesome young man. So I can’t wait,” Tebow said while standing outside Michael’s home waiting to go in.
Michael couldn’t have been happier to see Tebow.
“Nice to see you,” Tebow said. “I heard you’re a big Gator fan.”
To that, Michael responded that he does indeed like the Gators. Then, the video cut to Michael, who had tears in his eyes, hugging his mother.
Perhaps one of the best moments of the visit came when Tebow asked Michael about various NFL players who attended either Florida or Florida State.
“Do we like Florida State,” Tebow asked.
“No! No!” Michael responded emphatically.
During the visit, Tebow signed various items for his young fan, and Michael even showed the Gators legend his “Tebowing” stance. Tebowing, of course, was the controversial pose struck by Tebow after he scored a touchdown during his days playing college and professional football.
“That’s spot on,” Tebow said of Michael’s pose.
“I like Tebow to see my house,” Michael said near the end of the video. “I love to see Tebow, and to spend time with him.”
Tebow met Michael as part of his “Brighter Day” outreach campaign, according to The Federalist. The former quarterback’s foundation, moreover, has donated more than $3 million in grants to host Night to Shine events, which are held so that teens with Down syndrome can enjoy prom.
As evidenced by Michael’s reaction, Tebow is still very much beloved by Gators fans. And though he has turned his sights to professional baseball, it’s a true testament to the huge influence he had that over 8 years after he took his final snap as the Gators quarterback, his name still has so much cultural heft in the college football world in general.
Case in point, new Gators head coach Dan Mullen routinely brings up Tebow on the recruiting trail, and his words still evoke strong memories of Tebow’s stellar play.
“When I was here, 10 years ago, we were blessed to have some truly spectacular players. I mean, it’s fun calling plays when Tim Tebow is your quarterback and he’s throwing the ball out to a Percy Harvin,” Mullen said when he was introduced as the new Gators head coach in November 2017, via SEC Country.
While Tebow and Harvin were not able to fully replicate the success they had in college at the pro level, both were still a part of undeniably talented Florida teams that shattered all sorts of offensive records.
The Gators teams of recent memory have fallen very short of those lofty Tebow marks and Mullen, who was Tebow’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in college, is painfully aware of it.
“We have to do a great job recruiting to get that level of player back here to lead us back to championships,” Mullen said.
Mullen brought up how Florida fans can help impact recruits. Specifically, he discussed how Tebow attended Gators games as a young fan and immersed himself in the culture there.
“We need everybody in the Gator Nation (to impact recruiting),” Mullen said. “We need flags flying in front of your house. We need people wearing their Gator gear around. In the back of kids’ minds, all they see is Gator stuff every single day. When you’re a young kid, you don’t know. You could have an 8-year-old sitting next to you that’s going to be the next Tim Tebow.”
It only makes sense that Mullen would use Tebow as a recruiting tool in Florida. Despite not even playing football anymore, Tebow remains an immensely popular icon in the annals of the state’s football history.
But perhaps the most interesting thing Mullen has revealed in his speaking stops is the seeming standing offer he has for Tebow to join the Gators coaching staff. Mullen is aware that Tebow is extremely busy with his mission work and baseball career, but he seemed genuine when it came to wanting Tebow back with the Gators.
“I talked to Timmy, and I’d love to get Timmy back in the program in whatever role he would want to come in,” Mullen said last month, shortly after Signing Day, via SEC Country. “He’s got a lot of things going on. I talked to him the other day, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ He’s like, ‘I’m taking batting practice.’ He was somewhere in California or Arizona. He’s got baseball going on. Before that, he was in Southeast Asia on a mission trip. So his plate’s full.”
Despite acknowledging Tebow’s jam-packed schedule, Mullen made sure to stress that Tebow is always welcome to head back to his alma mater.
“(B)ut we’d love to get him back in whatever capacity,” he said.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
