Between Tebowing and Sacred Ground
In 2011, Tim Tebow made his first start as the quarterback for the Denver Broncos in a game against the Miami Dolphins. While a premier college player, football analysts speculated that Tebow’s skills would not translate to the professional game. Yet, the determined Tebow temporarily rebuffed his critics and led his team to a dramatic overtime victory. As his fellow Broncos took to the field to celebrate, Tebow remained off to the side, silently kneeling. As the telecast zeroed in on this contrast of exuberance and piety, one Denver fan watching from a New York City bar was inspired. He and his friends mimicked the pose, snapped some pictures, and posted them to social media. And with that, the quarterback’s postgame gesture went viral on the Internet. Almost immediately, the verb “Tebowing” became shorthand for the curious, embodied blend of evangelical Protestantism and sports stardom.1
From his earliest days in the spotlight, Tebow has unashamedly displayed his evangelical faith on the football field—scrawling Bible verses on his eye black, pointing Godward after a good play, and praising his “Lord and savior, Jesus Christ” at press conferences (Figure 1).