Celebrity

7 Times Tim Tebow Wasn't Afraid To Show His Faith

Love him or hate him, baseball player and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has a knack for making headlines.

Tebow made time to talk with a fan at a recent baseball game.NY Daily News

This time it was his candid and heartwarming interaction with an autistic fan that attracted attention, but if you've followed Tim Tebow's career you'll know that his strong faith has always drawn publicity.

For better or worse, Tebow refuses to downplay his strong Christian beliefs, and these examples prove that no matter what he does they manage to take center stage:

1. His TV show

These days lots of celebrities are involved in home renovation shows and reality competitions, but Tebow's show on Fox is a little different. Co-hosted by Mike Holmes, Home Free challenged contestants to each renovate a rundown house.

The surprise twist was that when a contestant was eliminated, they learned they were building the homes for themselves. The show wasn't a competition at all, just a chance to reward deserving families, which fits with Tebow's drive to put other, more deserving people before himself.

2. Wearing his faith on the field

As a quarterback in college, Tebow earned a reputation for wearing Bible verses on the grease strips under his eyes. There's no denying they attracted a lot of attention - there were 90 million Google searches for "John 3:16" after he wore the verse in a championship game.

The NCAA cracked down on the idea shortly after, banning writing on eye blacks in a rule that's now known as the "Tebow Rule."

3. Praying over a sick man

Tebow was in the right place at the right time when a fellow passenger on a Delta Flight had a heart attack. The quarterback prayed over the man and comforted his family until the flight landed, but didn't stop there.

Tebow helped the family collect their luggage, and even visited the man in the hospital afterwards. As another passenger on the flight explained, "I watched Tim pray with the entire section of the plane for this man. He made a stand for God in a difficult situation."

Find out how Tebow's faith came between him and an ex-girlfriend on the next page!

4. His abstinence

Tebow has never been shy about his pledge to stay celibate until he's married, even if it has lead to a lot of jokes about him in public and ruined one of his relationships.

Tebow and Culpo.NewsBusters

After Tebow's girlfriend and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo split from him in 2015, she revealed that his decision to wait until marriage to have sex was one of the biggest reasons why she left.

Regardless, Tebow remains committed to his pledge, and is still waiting to find the right woman to settle down with.

5. Tebowing

Tebow prays on the field.Boston.com

It's easy to forget now, but in 2011 "Tebowing" was the hot new trend, inspired by the athlete's habit of taking a knee during his games to pray. While everyone had fun copying the star, he took these moments very seriously.

A doctor "Tebowing" before surgery.KnowYourMem

In a church appearance, Tebow told fans that he would "take a moment to block out everything else and just get on a knee and thank the Lord. I want to humble myself before the Lord and say thank you for this opportunity. Thank you for letting me play the game I love."

6. His charity work

Tebow greets a guest at one of his foundation's Night to Shine events.Tim Tebow Foundation

Tebow is a very busy man: along with his baseball career, he helps run the Tim Tebow Foundation, an umbrella organization for his many charities including Night to Shine, which organizes special prom nights for autistic teens.

Praying with students during a trip to the Philippines.People

The athlete heard the call to give back to others early in life, starting the First to 15 organization in college to pay for the construction of an orphanage in the Philippines.

7. Praying over a sick fan

Tebow checks up on a fan after he has a seizure.ABC 15

Yes, Tebow always seems to be on the scene whenever something's going wrong to offer his help and support. He was nearby when a fan in line for his autograph collapsed and had a seizure.

Video shot at the scene shows Tebow praying over the fan, and he stayed by his side until paramedics arrived. This was just months after the dramatic moment when Tebow stepped up on the Detla flight, proving that there's no situation where he won't let his faith shine through.

Share this list with someone else if it inspired you!

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