Tim Tebow has taken America by storm this season, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that Tebow i now America's favorite professional athlete according to an ESPN Sports Poll, with three percent of Americans listing him as their favorite.
To put this news in perspective, David Scott of ESPN writes that there have only been 11 different athletes who have taken home this honor, among them are Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. That's pretty good company, no?
"To put this in perspective, Tim Tebow rose to the top before the end of his second pro season. It took Tiger Woods three years, LeBron James eight years and Kobe Bryant 11 years," said Rich Luker, founder and director of the ESPN Sports Poll. "I think we may be at the front end of a new era in sports stars." (via ESPN Front Row)
The poll is conducted monthly, and Tebow was crowned America's favorite only for the month of December of 2011. It's not surprising, really. Tebow is a poster child for role model athletes. He is on his best behavior and is a devout Christian, a fact that is made clear by his actions and comments. He is one of the friendliest guys in the NFL.
Oh, and did I mention he wins football games? Tebow has been on fire since taking over the starting job from Kyle Orton towards the beginning of the season, leading numerous fourth-quarter comebacks. Tebow is not known as a proficient passer, having led comebacks on the ground more often than through the air.
However, Tebow can still get the job done in the passing game. Last weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tebow threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning 80-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime, leading the Broncos to a 29-23 victory and a date with the New England Patriots this weekend.
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