He has to adjust his footwork. He needs to work on his passing. He is too heavy. His body is too thick. These are just some of criticisms, without even making a reference to his on-field praying, that were heard about and by Tim Tebow during the football season.

As a former athlete, I can understand all the questions and doubts that Tebow has faced during his first season in the NFL. Opinions and advice have come at him from every possible direction. So has the in-your-face media attention at such an early age, which is something I am glad that I did not have to face while concentrating on my game during college.

After leaving the lacrosse field and starting my career in the insurance field 30 years ago, I received a lot of valuable advice and countless suggestions from many people. I wrapped all of this into a neat package tied together with solid experience. Before venturing off to start my own firm, I made sure that I had built a strong foundation of knowledge, contacts and experts beneath my feet to give my business the chance at survival during the trying start-up years.

I did not focus on just one part of the insurance business. My game plan was diversification into personal, commercial and health insurance. As with any athlete, when one area of my game required a bit more coaching or practice, another strength in my arsenal continued to carry me down field to score the early points needed to build a winning business.

Tebow’s strength is his diversity. He is a fullback, a halfback and a quarterback all in one. He can throw, he can run and he is difficult to bring down. He can take a hit. To avoid a serious injury, he knows how to hit the ground. Understanding how to take the hit and how to fall in sports and business is as important as planning the game-day winning strategy. Whenever you are knocked off balance or whenever you fall — and you will fall — proper preparation will lift you for the next challenge.

Tebow has tasted success early during his brief football life. He won the Heisman Trophy during his sophomore year at Florida. After a 1-4 won-loss record this season for the Denver Broncos, he became the starting quarterback and helped put the team in the playoffs. As part of his experience, he now has a playoff game victory and a defeat in his arsenal. Both will prepare him for his next challenge.

Tebow already has gathered many fans and followers. He has garnered much attention in the regular media, along with the social media, for his play and his prayer. His name even has become part of the lexicon – “tebowing” quickly became the definition for a person bending on one knee in prayer.

He came to the NFL with a solid athletic and personal foundation that he attributes to his faith. He will continue to refine his football talents during these next several years. While criticized by some and mimicked by others for publically portraying his faith in God, he has used this to his advantage to build upon his successes and quickly recover from any failures.

My prediction is that people will be “tebowing” again as soon as he gets back on the field for his first pre-season game for the 2012-2013 season. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Jim

1 Comment

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  By Peter J. Lee, February 3, 2012 @ 4:42 am

  Heywood Broun said it well - “Sports do not built character. They reveal it.” Tim Tebow has certainly added an interesting wrinkle to the NFL.

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