Tim Tebow talks faith, football

By BRANDON SHIELDS, Jackson Sun - Former Florida quarterback and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was the keynote speaker Monday at Union University's Roy L. White Legacy Golf and Gala, and he brought a message that intertwined football and faith to the Carl Perkins Civic Center.

He began with a couple of tongue-in-cheek cracks about Tennessee and Union's mascot as cameras flashed while he walked back and forth across the stage instead of staying behind the lectern.

"When my agent first told me of the opportunity to speak at Union University, I thought, 'That's in Tennessee, but I've never had much of a problem with Tennessee,'" said Tebow, who never lost to Tennessee while playing for Florida. "Then I went online and did some research on Union and saw they were the Bulldogs."

One of Florida's biggest rivals is the Georgia Bulldogs, who beat Florida once during Tebow's college career.

Tebow told stories of when he was recruited as a high school senior, and he made a visit to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

"I went to Coach (Phillip) Fulmer's office and sat and talked with him a while," Tebow said. "I'm not sure who the coach is now."

Then he got serious about the subject of his message.

"I wanted to share with you about what I'd like to hear about, which is how to have a life of significance, meaning and purpose," Tebow said.