By Keith Taylor
Special to NKyTribune
Tim Tebow hasn’t lost his zeal to compete and is having fun playing a sport that never made him famous celebrity in the sports world.
The former University of Florida quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner is in his first season in the New York Mets organization and plays for the Columbia Fireflies, a Class A South Atlantic League affiliate of the Mets. An outfielder, Tebow took a .236 batting average into Thursday night’s opener of a four-game series against the Lexington Legends.
“It’s been really fun,” said Tebow, who hadn’t played baseball in more than 12 seasons prior to his current stint with Columbia. “I’m getting more adjusted and getting used to playing every single day. It’s fun having games pretty much every day until they get rained out. I’ve really been enjoying it and having fun with the whole process every day, having a routine and building on that routine, finding out what works for me.”
That routine, Tebow said, has “revolved and changed throughout the last two months” but added he’s gaining more confidence and “feeling better every single day.”
“It’s different every series, which I’ve also liked, because I get to see more (different styles),” he said. “Getting that experience, that timing and rhythm with everything and not just seeing the same thing or the same philosophy.”
Although the series opener Thursday against the Legends was in doubt because of inclement weather, Tebow was relieved the series opener wasn’t postponed.
“The rain seems to follow us everywhere,” Tebow joked.
While getting used to swinging a bat compared to throwing a football has been an adjustment for the former All-American signal caller, Tebow said the biggest transition has been “having a routine and the ability to train and compete that night.”
“In football, you would train and compete for 16 or 12 games,” he said. “You build everything that week to get ready for those three hours. Here, you will train during the day, then practice for a game and be ready for that day, the next day and every day. I think we’ve played a game every single day in April. That’s very different, a different philosophy, different training schedule and (I’ve been) adopting to that (routine).”
Following a successful career at Florida, Tebow was chosen in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos and later played for the New York Jets, the New England Patriots and Phildelphia Eagles before trading his helmet for a spot in the broadcast booth as an analyst for the SEC Network, a post he maintains during football season. Although broadcasting gave him a chance to stay close to football, Tebow wasn’t finished competing and signed a Minor League contract with the Mets last fall.
In his first at-bat with the Fireflies, Tebow belted a home run. On the season, Tebow has collected 30 hits to go along with three homers, six doubles and a triple. Tebow has endured a roller-coaster ride in his first eight weeks in the minors, but likes being part of the team, despite being “slightly older” than most of his teammates.
“They’re awesome and we have fun together,” he said.
Because of his age, Tebow, 29, said the learning curve is faster but added “it also has to be a process” and has embraced the grind “because it’s easy” compared to “what other people around the world are having to deal with.”
“I just need to continue to make progress and improve,” he said. “It’s not something that you can rush, but at the same time, you have to be focused and diligent for another day to make sure that you get the most out of every day.”
Tebow added that his experience as an athlete also has been beneficial to his younger teammates, many of which have gotten used to his larger-than-life image that follows him on a daily basis.
“The biggest (thing I share with them) is the highs and lows,” he said. “For some of the younger guys, the biggest thing they have gone through is when we have a sellout and they go 3-3 or 0-4. It can be a pretty big high or a pretty big low. It’s encouraging them they can’t be defined by that one game. They have to stay even keel. It’s not the end of the world. It’s never as good as it seems or as bad as it seems.”
Tebow said the biggest key is to “to block out the outside distractions.”
“You’re always going to have them,” he said. “Even the positive ones and you can’t let that change who you are, your focus or your mindset.”
Although his athletic journey has changed, Tebow’s platform hasn’t. A devout Christian, Tebow takes advantage of his platform to impact lives in a positive manner both on and off the field.
“I’ve always been so thankful to have a platform,” he said. “Having a platform gives you an opportunity to talk about things the really matter. I know regardless of what I do at the play (in a game), it doesn’t really matter. It’s really fun and we can be passionate about it, but at the end of the day, if I hit it over the fence or strike out, no one is really going to remember that.
“If I can take a platform that football and baseball and whatever else has given me and I can go into a hospital, make the kids smile, if I can inspire people … we’re doing something. That’s what I’m passionate about and I’ve always been grateful for a platform.”
Although he’s not sure how far his professional baseball career will take him, Tebow said he will continue to enjoy the journey.
“I really do enjoy it every step of the way,” he said. “You get some many questions about the bus rides and everything thing. Coming here six or seven hours was no problem. We watched “Miracles” on the bus and had a good time. I’m enjoying the whole journey, because I think for me, it’s about the processing everything, enjoying it, loving it and making the most of every opportunity.”
For Tebow, the reward goes beyond the playing field.
“When you’re 50 years-old and telling your kids about what all you got to experience, it’s fun,” he said. “I want to live every moment to be able to do so many cool things, play pro football, play pro baseball, the journey, and to be able to take it all in and enjoy the whole process of it.”
Keith Taylor is a senior sports writer for KyForward, where he primarily covers University of Kentucky sports. Reach him at keith.taylor@kyforward.com or @keithtaylor21 on Twitter