Tim Tebow continues to live out his Christian faith in a very public way: While signing autographs after an Arizona Fall League game, the athlete saw a fan having what appeared to be a seizure and prayed over him until the paramedics arrived.
According to the New York Times, after playing outfield for the Scottsdale Scorpions on Tuesday, Tebow was made aware that a man standing in a crush of fans seeking autographs along the third-base line had collapsed and appeared to have a seizure.
The 29-year-old NFL quarterback-turned-professional baseball player reportedly stopped signing autographs and made his way over to where people had gathered, and sat near the man, praying silently as a medic attended to him.
Tebow leaned over and placed his right hand on the man's left knee while Daniel Kelly, a former Jets scout who left football to become a debt counselor and minister, prayed out loud. Witnesses say seconds after he was touched by Tebow, Berry jolted up and gasped for air, coughing loudly.
"It was a miracle moment that happened there," a witness, Daniel Kelly, told the Associated Press.
The athlete then engaged the man in conversation while waiting for paramedics from the Phoenix Fire Department to arrive. After discussing sports, movies, and other topics, the man informed Tebow that he learned this year that he had a brain tumor.
"I'll be praying for you, O.K.," Tebow responded. "By name."
The athlete sat talking with the man for roughly 15 minutes, according to the Times. "Sorry this happened," the man said. "Glad I got the chance to meet you," Tebow replied, and didn't leave the man's side until paramedics arrived.
"You just remember what's important," Tebow later told ABC News. "Baseball's awesome it's something I'm so excited I get a chance to pursue, but what's important is lives matter, people matter. This young man, he mattered. So my first instinct was to just be with him, put my hands on him and pray for him.
"We get caught up in so many different things, things that we're pursuing and we forget about what matters most is the people around us," he added.
A video of the brief encounter was shared on social media and quickly went viral, with thousands applauding the former Heisman Trophy winner for his compassion.
"Idc what ya think of #Tebow. Guy checking on a man having a seizure and saying a prayer beside him is a #ClassAct even if you don't believe," wrote Hawguy.
"This is what #america needs more of!! #Tebow thank you for showing God's love on this Earth!" wrote Kimmie.
Tweeted another fan, "This is Why I'll always say Tim tebow is one of a kind! Great role model and a hell of a athlete #tebow"
This is not the first time Tebow has comforted a fan during a medical emergency: After a man fell unconscious due to heart problems on a flight back in June, the athlete left his first-class seat to come to the back of the plane to offer any help he could. As medics tended to the man, Tebow reportedly met with the man's wife, supporting her and praying with her, according to a fan who witnessed the event.
Meanwhile, on October 25th, Tebow will release his first book, titled Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life's Storms, a personal account of some of the challenging moments in his career and how he overcame them with his faith in God.
In a sneak preview of the book, Tebow shared how he questioned God's plan after the Patriots cut him: "I shifted my thoughts toward God, the One I believed had led me to New England. I thought this was going somewhere special," he recalled telling God. "I thought this was a plan You designed for me. If that was true, then why, God, why is this thing crashing and burning?"
But Tebow soon realized that God was still with him.
"I knew God hadn't left me. I knew He still had a plan for my life," he said. "I knew He still had a purpose. And though my foundation in Him was solid, much of what rested on top of that was shaken."
