Tim Tebow to ESPN's Bayless: There Will Always Be Naysayers
Leading into his interview with Denver Broncos’ Tim Tebow Tuesday, ESPN “First Take” show host Skip Bayless explained that he takes a beating from his colleagues every time he says the evangelist quarterback is “a force of competitive nature.”
During the phone interview with Tebow, ESPN co-anchors posted tweets calling Bayless’ obvious admiration for the quarterback a sign of a bromance between the two and quipped about them going on a “first date.”
Not to be accused of throwing softball questions, Bayless asked Tebow about how he rates his own passing ability, and what he thinks of team president John Elway’s lackluster support for the QB.
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Tebow was also asked about how he feels about former Broncos’ QB Jake Plummer’s saying that he would like to hear less faith talk coming from the devout Christian on game days.
“I think that when he accepts the fact that we know he loves Jesus Christ, then I think I’ll like him a little better,” said Plummer on Monday to XTRA Sports 910.
The former Florida Gator and Heisman Trophy winner told Bayless that his desire to declare Jesus’ name whenever he can is similar to how husbands should show love to their wives.
"If you're married and you have a wife and you really love your wife, is it good enough to only say to your wife 'I love her' the day you get married? Or should you tell her every single day when you wake up and every opportunity?"
"So any time I get an opportunity to tell Him that I love Him or given an opportunity to shout Him out on national TV, I'm gonna take that opportunity," Tebow explained.
One of the first questions from Bayless was about Tebow’s late-game heroics. Tebow has taken his team to 4-1 since starting, most of the wins coming during the closing moments of games.
Bayless asked, “So, explain to me Tim Tebow, what the heck gets into you during fourth quarter late-game drives? I mean do you go into some other zone? Do you go into some spiritual realm that we’re not familiar with?”
Tebow first chuckled, then said, “No, I don’t go into anything like that. I just love playing the game. I’ve been very competitive since I was a little boy and in college. Coach [Urban] Meyer would always talk about that, at the end of the game, you’ve got to have competitive greatness. You have to trust those teammates around you and the coaches. I think that’s what we’ve been doing...”
Bayless said that every Monday morning, or in the case of the last game, Friday morning, “people sit across from me and say, ‘But he can’t pass.’”
When asked about how he would rate himself as a passer, Tebow said, “There’s always been adversity and there’s always going to be the naysayers. I just keep my faith and trusting the Lord that He has a plan for me. I keep working as hard as I can every single day. I focus on my attitude and being a great teammate every single day. That’s all. I try not to worry about what everybody else says."
Tebow did all but dismiss a question in regards to Elway’s less than enthusiastic support of his starting quarterback.
“I’ve dreamed of being a quarterback in the NFL since I was 7 and I’ve had a blast these last five weeks. I will continue to make this organization proud. Every time I step on the field I will give everything I have and I will leave everything I have on the field every single Sunday,” he said.
