TIM TEBOW’S WILD RISE

TIM TEBOW’S WILD RISE is not what you’re used to seeing on E! Entertainment Television. The documentary on the incredibly popular football star boldly examines his profound Christian witness.

The documentary opens flashing three words in large letters “Christian,” “Phenomena” and “Celebrity” – in that order. A commentator notes Tim Tebow passes “the mom test.” “Even my mom knows who he is, and she’s not a sports fan at all.”

The documentary then tells the story of his birth in the Philippines. The son of American missionaries, his mother had a complicated pregnancy and was advised to have an abortion. Obviously, she didn’t. When Tim was three, they moved to a farm near Jacksonville, Florida. As a home schooled student, he was permitted to play for Neace High School where he was both controversial and famous. He once finished a game with a broken leg and scored a touchdown. The team won a state championship.

In college, he played for the University of Florida where he won a Heisman trophy as a sophomore and two national titles. More importantly he gained a huge following because of his outspoken Christian beliefs. He wore Scripture verses on the black patches under his eyes (worn for glare reduction). The day he wore “John 3:16,” it became the number one searched item on Google. TIM TEBOW’S WILD RISE even includes footage of him leading some men in “the sinner’s prayer.”

Breaks between segments are given titles like, “So Shall You Reap,” “Let There Be Light,” “Blessed,” “Merciful,” and “Amen.” One commentator discusses how astounding it was that at a university known for being a huge party school with large numbers of beautiful, admiring girls, he won two national championships without the slightest hint of sexual immorality. One commentator considered this a huge waste of opportunity.

Following an unexpected loss to the University of Mississippi, Tim made a promise at a news conference that you would never see anyone work harder than him and his teammates for the rest of the season. They didn’t lose another game that year, including the national championship.

The documentary then covers his tumultuous time as a Denver Bronco. His taking a knee to pray while on the field led to a craze called Tebowing where people from around the world would strike the pose for photographs. His fourth-quarter comeback victories led to a phenomenon called “Tebowmania.” One sportscaster referred to him as “The Mile High Messiah,” and another called him “the story of the season.” His faith was satirized on Saturday Night Live.

Following the 2011 season, Denver signed Payton Manning as quarterback and traded Tim to the New York Jets. TIM TEBOW’S WILD RISE speculates on what impact the “Sodom of the United States” will have on Tim. One celebrity journalist even admitted a willingness to twist truth to get an embarrassing story on Tim.

Skip Bayless, an ESPN analyst (and huge Tebow fan), worries that Tim will be pulled apart, not by his detractors, but by all those who admire him seeking his time and attention.

Just a half-hour show, TIM TEBOW’S WIDE RISE documents just how remarkable a Christian witness a 25-year-old can be. Tim’s ability as a football player is constantly questioned, but the example he sets for adults and children has been absolutely phenomenal.