The Tim Tebow of the Sixties

[supergee]

The last NFL player to be as openly Christian as Tim Tebow was Bob Timberlake, drafted by the Giants in 1965, the same year the Jets picked Joe Namath. He was a bad quarterback but an even worse placekicker, missing 14 consecutive field goals. He was bad enough to be historically important. He was so bad that the next year the Giants violated the "gentleman's agreement" not to sign players from the AFL, picking up placekicker Pete Gogolak, which eventually led to the AFL-NFL agreement.

Having failed as a football player, Rev. Timberlake appears to be a much better human being. According to the Wikipedia entry I have linked to, he has devoted himself to community service, particularly affordable housing, on which he leads programs and teaches courses.

However Tim Tebow does on the football field, I would not be surprised to see him wind up similarly, as he definitely seems to be the sort of Christian who reads parts of the Bible other than the ones about keeping women in their place and smiting men who lie with men.

Comments

[onyxlynx]

Huh. I hadn't known there had been a "gentlemen's agreement," although I do remember Pete Gogolak.

[supergee]

That's always the problem with conspiracy theories. There was at least a general feeling that signing from the other league would be kicking kicking over the chamber pot.