"One of us would play quarterback, while the other two would face off against each other, with one as a receiver and the other the defensive back assigned to cover him," Tebow writes in his new book, "Through My Eyes."
"We didn't have a set score that we played to, but rather played until we got called to school, to work or eat, until someone got hurt, until we got into a fight with one another, or it got so dark that we finally could not see well enough to play."
That's just one behind-the-scenes story that Tebow, quarterback for the Denver Broncos and member of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., relates in his new book, co-written with Nathan Whitaker and released May 31 by HarperCollins.
As of June 9, the book was 15th on Amazon's bestseller list.
"It's about my life, from before I was born, all the way up to my first year in the NFL and everything in between," Tebow said in a Florida Times-Union story. "It's a lot of cool stuff. Some of it is stories that have been told, but also what isn't told. There's a lot of stuff in there that ESPN doesn't report, just thoughts of mine before big games and different stories that people wouldn't know unless they were right there with me.
"More than anything, I hope the book encourages kids and helps them accomplish their dreams."
Tebow writes about his mother's troubled pregnancy with him, which some doctors said could have resulted in her death. But she chose to carry Tebow to term.
"God's peace, she later told me, is what sustained her through the pain, bleeding, and uncertainty of the next eight months of her pregnancy," Tebow writes.
Tebow writes about his experience being homeschooled and how he dealt with dyslexia. He tells about his passion for sports from a young age, the process of being recruited for college, stories from his playing days as a Florida Gator where he became the first sophomore ever to win the Heisman Trophy, and about getting prepared for the NFL draft.
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"As I tell my story, I hope that you will see that its true focus is on God and on those eternal values that He holds before us as beacons and benchmarks, to help us live lives of abundance that will ultimately glorify Him, while also lifting and bettering the lives of His children everywhere," Tebow writes in the book's preface.
Kevin Brockway, a sportswriter at the Gainesville (Fla.) Sun, gave the book a positive review.
"In all, Tebow portrays a real account of his life that doesn't come across as too preachy or self-indulgent," Brockway writes. "Christians will enjoy the book for the lessons Tebow tries to convey. Football fans will enjoy the book for its behind-the-scenes access. It's not a book that will change your life, but 'Through My Eyes' is definitely a solid read."
Tim Ellsworth is editor of BPSports, on the Web at www.bpsports.net. He also is director of news and media relations for Union University in Jackson, Tenn.
Copyright (c) 2011 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press www.BPNews.net
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