By Jan Penton Miller
Columnist

I heard Tim Tebow speak recently and was inspired. I knew a little about him, and figured that he would be an interesting speaker. He spoke of his football career, and some of the people who had been instrumental in his life. Although much of what he said was probably geared toward a younger crowd I found nuggets to take away.     

The one thing that resonated with me the most was the story he told about a young teammate at Florida. Tebow noticed the fellow never put his whole heart and effort into his training. Although he was one of the strongest players with great potential or maybe because of that, he skipped through the workouts and cut corners wherever he could.     

This guy could have been a fabulous addition to the team, but instead he let his laziness and ego call the shots in his life. Tebow saw his problems and his potential but didn’t want to call him out in front of the team. 

Instead, he waited until he could talk to his teammate one on one and explained that he would never be able to have any play time if he didn’t work hard and gain the respect of his teammates.     

The talented and prideful player with the poor work ethic did not heed Tebow’s warning. Even though he had all the potential to become a fabulous player and leader he took the easy way out. He continued to take shortcuts and thumb his nose in the face of authority. 

Ultimately, this was the beginning and end of what could have been a very promising career. He chose self instead of selflessness, and it impacted him greatly.

Another story he told touched my heart. There was a young Tebow fan with many physical disabilities that made it very difficult for her to walk. He was up for seven awards that year and invited the young lady to accompany him to the award’s banquet.

The young fan’s mother bought her a beautiful dress for the evening. When the banquet finally arrived the young fan painstakingly navigated the red carpet into the place at Tebow’s side. Joy was intensely evident on her face, but as each award was called and Tebow’s name wasn’t his countenance fell. 

He wasn’t thinking much about the young lady at his side by this point. He felt discouragement loom large until his mom touched his shoulder from her seat behind him. His mom could feel and see his discouragement and whispered, “Timmy you had already won tonight before you even walked in the door.” 

Write to Jan Penton Miller at jpentonauthor@gmail.com.