Tebow played college football for the Florida Gators, where he became the first underclassman to win the Heisman Trophy and helped lead the team to two BCS National Championship titles in 2006 and 2008.

Tebow became the Broncos' starter during the 2011 season and revitalized a struggling team, bringing them to the franchise's first division title and playoff victory since 2005.

[5] His frequent comeback victories and outspoken Christian faith made him a cultural phenomenon, with his habit of dropping to one knee in prayer on the field becoming known as "Tebowing".

Due to questions over Tebow's potential as an NFL quarterback, he was traded after the season to the New York Jets, where he spent one year as a backup.

[6] After failing to make the regular season roster of the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, Tebow pursued a minor league baseball career with the New York Mets organization from 2016 to 2021.

[31] Despite a strong showing in his first inter-squad scrimmage, head coach Urban Meyer named Tebow second-string behind Chris Leak.

[50][51] On December 8, 2007, Tebow was awarded the Heisman Trophy, finishing ahead of Arkansas's Darren McFadden, Hawaii's Colt Brennan, and Missouri's Chase Daniel.

[57] Before the 2008 season even started, Tebow had his name pulled from consideration for the Playboy Preseason All-American team because it conflicted with his Christian beliefs.

[60][61][62][63] On November 1, 2008, playing against Georgia, Tebow ran for his 37th rushing touchdown, breaking the school record previously held by former Florida running back Emmitt Smith.

[69][70][71] On January 11, 2009, at a national championship celebration held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium,[72] Tebow announced that he would not make himself eligible for the 2009 NFL draft, but would instead return for his senior season at Florida.

[74] Tebow opened the 2009 season continuing a streak of throwing and running for a touchdown in blowout wins over Charleston Southern and Troy.

[87] Coincidentally, Florida did not have a game scheduled for the following Saturday, and Tebow was cleared to play in the Gators' next contest at LSU on October 10, two weeks after the incident.

[92] At the end of his college career, Tebow held five National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), 14 Southeastern Conference (SEC), and 28 University of Florida statistical records.

Some, including Florida governor Charlie Crist, suggested that Tebow could be the remedy for dwindling Jaguars ticket sales at EverBank Field.

"[131] Not everyone in the organization agreed, as Jaguar lineman Uche Nwaneri posted doubts about Tebow's potential NFL success on his team's website message board.

[152] Shortly afterward, Broncos' head coach John Fox announced Tebow would start in the following game on the road against the Miami Dolphins.

[153] Tebow struggled for three-and-a-half quarters against the Dolphins, taking six sacks, but rallied from a 15–0 deficit in the last three minutes to win the game 18–15 in overtime.

[161] Tebow guided the Broncos to another comeback victory the next week—a 16–13 overtime road win over the San Diego Chargers, where he ran the ball 22 times for 67 yards.

[167][168] After the three consecutive losses, Broncos vice president and former quarterback John Elway said Tebow was playing tentatively and needed to "pull the trigger".

[175] Despite on-field successes by the Broncos under Tebow, he finished the season with the lowest passing completion rate in the NFL (reaching 50% in just four of his 14 games) which led many to question his potential as a quarterback at the professional level.

After being cut, he publicly thanked the Patriots organization for the opportunity and stated: "I will remain in relentless pursuit of continuing my lifelong dream of being an NFL quarterback.

[199] Tebow's football background combined with his outspoken views on Christianity led some media pundits to label him as a 'cultural phenomenon',[201][202][203][204][205][206] while some Denver Broncos teammates and team management reportedly described him as 'self-centered' and a hypocrite.

[207] A nationwide controversy surrounded Tebow's decision to appear in an ad funded by the socially conservative organization Focus on the Family that was broadcast on February 7, 2010, during Super Bowl XLIV on CBS.

[223] In an episode that aired on February 4, 2016, Tebow competed against The Vampire Diaries actress Nina Dobrev on Spike's Lip Sync Battle.

[259] Despite a poor showing in spring training (1-for-18 with 11 strikeouts), the Mets organization promoted Tebow to their Double-A team, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies of the Eastern League.

[262] On July 23, the Mets organization announced that Tebow had broken the hamate bone in his right hand, which required surgery and led him to miss the remainder of the season.

[266] Between June 28 and July 5, 2019, Tebow hit three home runs over an AAA six game stretch for the Syracuse Mets, his best performance as a professional baseball player.

The origin of the phrase is credited to fan Jared Kleinstein, who posted a picture with friends on Facebook, in which they mimicked a pose of Tebow following the Broncos' comeback overtime victory over the Dolphins on October 23, 2011.

"[299][300] Honoring his commitment to his religious beliefs and his humanitarian work, Liberty University awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities to Tebow on May 15, 2021.

[305] The Tim Tebow Foundation includes Night to Shine, an event geared towards providing people with developmental and intellectual disabilities a safe space to have a prom.