Stop. I know what you're thinking, and you're sick. I'm not saying Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow will be accused of manslaughter, tried before a bloodthirsty media, acquitted, eventually convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping, and eventually jailed. I'm wondering if the charismatic, extremely likable NFL athlete can follow in Juice’s footsteps and transition to a feature-film career after his pro football days come to a close.
After watching Tebow single-handedly usher the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the playoffs, it became inevitable that Hollywood will make a film based on Tebow’s miraculous season. But maybe the Mile-High Messiah wants to become a movie star on his own? Here are the five qualities we believe can help Tebow transition to the silver screen … you know, besides the fact that he appears to be the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Movie-Star Good Looks
?Freshly tussled hair, even after spending four quarters in a football helmet. Perfectly graded five o’clock shadow. A pearly-white smile. I’m comfortable enough in my masculinity (Grrrrrr! Football!!!) to admit that Tim Tebow’s a good looking dude. Imagine if God left Brendan Fraser in the oven a little while longer, and you basically have Tebow. Slap his perpetual, earnest grin on a movie poster, and you are bound to sell tickets. Especially to a female audience.
Immeasurable Charisma
?Surf a few style blogs dedicated to Tebow and you’ll realize that his fans – OK, his female fans – don’t give a damn about his looks or athletic abilities. They love his personality. "Women are responding to him because he is attractive and his nice-guy image is pleasant to watch. The soft-side he displays due to his spirituality is attractive and refreshing," sports relationship coach Leah Jantzen, author of How to Score with your Man by Being a Fan, told the blog Shine. Tebow’s warm, kind, personable nature earns an audience’s trust, and that goes a LONG way to establishing credibility with the ticket buyers.
Physicality
The knock on Tebow is that he’s a bruising fullback masquerading as a finesse quarterback. And from an NFL perspective, that’s absolutely true. Tebow’s God-given athleticism can only help him, however, should he want to transition into an action movie career. Former pro athletes who leapt to the silver screen often were forced to play athletic characters. Ray Allen shoots hoops in Spike Lee’s He Got Game because that’s what he’s good at. Tebow, though, could be the next Bubba Smith, Carl Weathers, Jim Brown or Brian Bosworth. Maybe we could create an Angels In the End Zones franchise just for No. 15?
Comfort in the Public Eye
Too many new talents flame out once they feel the red-hot spotlight of the public eye. Ask Lindsay Lohan how she’s handling her relentless paparazzi, and she’s likely to hand you a signed copy of her Playboy spread. Classy. But for Tebow, the Hollywood spotlight would be relatively dim compared to the one he endures on a daily basis from the global sports media. Hollywood may have E!, but Tebow endures a 24-hour blitz from media networks run by ESPN, Fox Sports, the NFL and beyond, all picking apart his every move. And he emerges from the muck of this constant public and media scrutiny with a smile on his face, and a delightful story to share about his faith. It’s impressive. You think the unflappable No. 15 is going to be fazed by a negative review from Armond White when he has had his ass handed to him by the Doubting Thomases in the sports media? It’s unlikely.
An Enormous Following
On and off the football field, Tebow’s a rock star. A folk hero. And his legend only grows with each impossible win. He can’t throw. He shouldn’t run. He’ll never win. Tebow personally lifts new followers onto his bandwagon each and every week. Much like the baskets carrying the excess loaves and fishes, the Tebow bandwagon is filled to capacity … and only taking on more riders. Would they translate into tickets sold? It’s certainly possible, at least for his first movie. Tebow regularly proves the impossible possible. Who wouldn’t pay to see his first movie, to see if a kid with no training could convincingly act in a feature film. Maybe it’s a trainwreck, a disaster akin to his throwing motion. Or maybe Tebow’s miracles aren’t limited to the football field, and we might be looking at a major movie star in the making.
