Tim Tebow Enters the No Spin Zone
NFL star quarterback and man of faith goes one-on-one with O'Reilly
This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," June 3, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
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JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS GUEST HOST: In the "Back of the Book" segment tonight, Tim Tebow is a quarterback for the Denver Broncos and a man of deep faith. That faith has helped him through football and through controversy.
You may remember that some women's groups attacked the pro-life Super Bowl ad he did with his mom, who had ignored doctors' suggestions to abort him for health reasons. Tim has a new book out, "Through My Eyes." Bill O'Reilly recently talked to Tim.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL O'REILLY, FOX NEWS HOST: So here's what I want to know. I played football at a much lower level than you. In pro football, they have Christian athletes like you, all right? But it's a secular society. There's a lot of crazy guys doing a lot of, you know, strip clubs every night, drinking and all this kind of business. Does that impact on the locker room at all, your lifestyle as opposed to theirs?
TIM TEBOW, DENVER BRONCOS QUARTERBACK: To be able to influence someone or to be able to have a group of guys come together to have a successful team and to be together all the time every day for, you know, a year and longer together, you have to have a -- find a common ground. And that common ground for us is football.
And when they realize that I go out there and I work as hard as I can every day, they have a respect for me for how I play. And then that respect grows to like. And that like grows to love. And then they'll play for you. If you walk the walk, then when you say something that's going to mean so much more. And I think that's how I try to approach it on the field every day.
O'REILLY: Do you ever get offended by their behavior? I mean, the ones who do not believe the way you believe?
TEBOW: Very rarely, because we all, you know, have things that we're trying to work on.
O'REILLY: So you don't judge?
TEBOW: Absolutely not. Because I'm not perfect. I'm never going to be. And that's the great thing about living the Christian life and trying to live by faith, is you're trying to get better every day. You're trying to improve.
O'REILLY: There are some evangelicals who witness, you know ...
TEBOW: Absolutely and that is great. But -- but the greatest way to witness is by walking that straight and narrow and also realizing that you're going to mess up. That's what grace is for. We're going to fall, but we've got to get back up. And you've got to improve.
And that's what I'm all about. It's not trying to act like I do everything right because I'm going to screw up. I'm going to mess up. But I'm going to get back, you know, and get after it and try to do better the next day.
O'REILLY: Do you pray for victory?
TEBOW: You know, I think He honestly does care about how we play on the field, more than anything more than win or lose our hearts on the field. On the field I'm trying to play for the glory of God but then also I'm trying to give everything I have and win and compete. And so I think more than just winning or losing, I think He cares about where our hearts are when we're playing.
O'REILLY: So you don't say before the game with the Dallas Cowboys, "Hey, God, let me win by at least 10 points here to..."
TEBOW: To cover the spread. [Laughs]
O'REILLY: Right. I used to pray. This is absolutely true. I would say, "Please don't let me break anything." I want to, you know -- I want to keep my head or my arm intact. I would pray for the safety of not only me but the team and let the chips fall where they may.
TEBOW: You know, what I share in this book, I think, more than anything is, you know, I pray that somehow through this game I will be able to honor him, be able to inspire someone, be able to...
O'REILLY: You can do that, sure, by your fame.
TEBOW: But just by how I play.
O'REILLY: The controversy that put you on the map, as far as spirituality is concerned, was the abortion commercial. Do you still get jazzed by that? People remember that and they...
TEBOW: They do remember it. I'll get asked about it quite a bit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAM TEBOW, TIM'S MOTHER: I call him my miracle baby. He almost didn't make it into this world. I can remember so many times when I almost lost him. It was so hard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TEBOW: It was honestly -- it wasn't judging anyone or putting anyone down.
O'REILLY: No.
TEBOW: It was celebrating my mom's decision.
O'REILLY: Right.
TEBOW: And honestly just telling a story and a special story. And, you know, I think we're very blessed to have the opportunity to tell that story.
O'REILLY: You don't seem to me like a guy that cares about money or fame that much.
TEBOW: You know, any time of the day that can pop up. You think, oh, this is a great deal. Let me think beyond that. What is -- you know, what is the underlying factor? how can I influence someone with that?
And that's why, more than anything, more than doing it as many doors open as I could all season, anything like that. My No. 1 focus was on my foundation, the Tim Tebow Foundation, to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in the darkest hour of need.
O'REILLY: Do you ever get heckled? "Hey, you're a Boy Scout," all of that? They're yelling at you?
TEBOW: Absolutely.
O'REILLY: Yes.
TEBOW: I've got to have fun with it, though.
O'REILLY: All right, Tim, thanks very much. We appreciate it.
TEBOW: Thank you so much for having me on. God bless you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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