As the college football season approaches its third week, the sporting fan base waits with great anticipation for one of the most highly anticipated match-ups in a long time. But aside from this year’s proverbial "game-of-the-century" between Ohio State and USC, most fans want to know if their favorite college or university will be able to field a competitive team. Although no season is complete without student-athletes at high-profile university athletics programs getting into trouble, this year the numbers seem to be much higher.
On Friday, Ball State football coach Brady Hoke suspended his nephew for a game against Navy after he was arrested the previous week for drunken driving.
That same day Virginia quarterback Peter Lalich violated his parole, his playing status is still up in the air.
Penn State coach Joe Paterno also had a busy day; he suspended three players – two starting defensive linemen – from their Saturday contest against Oregon State, another player was dismissed from the team.
The Miami Hurricanes – perennial contenders for the for Most Suspended Team crown – held out seven players from their season opener due to various violations of team rules and/or the Florida penal code.
Florida State, another class-act program, had more than a dozen players suspended for their opening game.
And on, and on, and on. The sheer number of athletes suspended this year already is alarming enough, but there will be many more to come; to expect that there will be no more trouble for the rest of the football season and through the basketball season is more than a bit naive. You know the NCAA is praying for someone to emerge as a poster boy of good behavior, someone with high-profile talent to go along with high-profile acts of unselfish volunteerism.
Enter Tim Tebow.
When he’s not out scoring touchdowns, winning the Heisman Trophy in his sophomore season, laughing at Superman for having a weakness, sweating Gatorade, or inventing the color spectrum (the last three "facts" provided here), Tim Tebow is spending his time doing missionary work in the Philippines.
It is quite refreshing to see someone so talented to be so grounded. Instead of looking for ways his fame and status to benefit him, he looks for ways his popularity can benefit others. No matter the number or grandeur of his accomplishments, Tebow understands that there are those who are less fortunate than he is. He does not take the talents he has for granted, he works hard for them and looks outward to use his gifts to help others.
Tim Tebow is an example not just for other student-athletes, but for all people. Despite your particular allegiances, you can’t overlook Tim Tebow and his greatness on and off the field. And as the days and weeks of the college football season go by and the arrests and suspensions pile up, the appreciation for Tebow and all he does will only grow.
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