On Sunday night against the Panthers, Jets quarterback Tim Tebow completed just four of his 14 passes for 55 yards with one interception. But when the lights dimmed at MetLife Stadium, Tebow made his most important pass of the night.
Following the game, Tebow quietly slipped onto the field to toss the football with a young person in a wheelchair, all part of his “Wish 15” program under the auspices of the Tim Tebow Foundation. The stated goal of “Wish 15” is “to fulfill the dreams of children with ?life-threatening illnesses whose wish is to meet Tim Tebow.”
“It was a special kid that is going through something tough who is part of our Wish 15 program, like we do every week. It’s just fun once all of you all clear out, just to get a chance to spend time with him, his family,” Tebow told Metro. “It really puts things in perspective. You try to have a game-winning drive, but ultimately you know what I was doing afterwards was more important.”
Most impressive is that much of Tebow’s charitable work is done away from the public eye and seems to be lacking the self-serving component seen in many athletes today. There was no television crew filming the touching moment for a national audience, just Tebow, the young person in the wheelchair and the surrounding family.
When asked by Metro about his desire to shun the spotlight and not capitalize on the possibility for attention in moments like this, Tebow stumbled for several moments before finding the words to answer.
“Those moments are about the kids, their families — putting a smile on their face and giving them inspiration,” Tebow said. “It’s not about anyone else knowing. It is 100 percent about that them; that’s why I do it.”
Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer.
