Kurt Warner was known as one of the most religious players in the NFL when he played. One of his most notable moments was when he won the Super Bowl and bellowed “Thank you Jesus!” As Christ-focused as he was, the former Rams and Cardinals quarterback quickly learned that constantly mentioning the Lord can be a turnoff for some people, so he made an adjustment.
“There’s almost a faith cliche, where (athletes) come out and say, ‘I want to thank my Lord and savior,'” Warner told the Arizona Republic. “As soon as you say that, the guard goes up, the walls go up, and I came to realize you have to be more strategic.”
Warner feels that’s a lesson Tim Tebow could benefit from.
“You can’t help but cheer for a guy like that,” Warner said of Tebow. “But I’d tell him, ‘Put down the boldness in regards to the words, and keep living the way you’re living. Let your teammates do the talking for you. Let them cheer on your testimony.’
“I know what he’s going through, and I know what he wants to accomplish, but I don’t want anybody to become calloused toward Tim because they don’t understand him, or are not fully aware of who he is. And you’re starting to see that a little bit.”
Tebow has already turned off former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer with his constant religious mentions. Although Plummer respects Tebow’s game, he says he’d like Tebow more if he weren’t so overbearing. Many other people feel the same way. But Tebow said he won’t stop thanking the Lord any time he has the chance.
As for me, even though I don’t follow Tebow’s religious beliefs, it doesn’t turn me off. I just tune it out and respect him for all his other positive characteristics: he’s hardworking, dedicated, honest, and a good teammate. As long as you’re living your life with those types of values, your religion doesn’t matter to me. It shouldn’t to anyone else.
Chest bump to The Postgame
