National Football League

Tebow to suspended students: Obey rules

Published Dec. 17, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

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Though he is impressed by their courage, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is asking high school students who have been punished for Tebowing at school to play by the rules.

"You have to respect the position of authority and people that God's put as authority over you," Tebow said. "So that's part of it and just finding the right place and the right time to do things is part of it, too. But I think it does show courage from the kids, standing out and doing that, and some boldness."

He was speaking about 17-year-old twin brothers who were suspended by their Long Island high school this week for their salute to the Jesus-loving NFL quarterback.

Tebow has led the once-lowly Broncos on an unlikely winning streak filled with late-game heroics while touting his religious beliefs by praising God to reporters and taking the kneeling stance on the field.

More than a dozen Riverhead High School students chanted Tebow's name and struck his kneeling, fisted signature pose Friday in front of the school as one of the suspended twin seniors served out his single-day punishment for leading dozens of students in the same homage all week in a hallway.

Sidelined twin Connor Carroll said that he killed time in suspension hall by ranking NFL quarterbacks — with Tebow high on his written list.

He and his twin brother, Tyler Carroll, who is set to serve his suspension Monday, were penalized after organizing the so-called tribute, in which dozens of students jammed a hallway all week, Tebow-style.

"I feel like we were kind of singled out," according to Tyler Carroll, who, like his brother, plays football and baseball. "If we were told to stop, we would have stopped."

School administrators have insisted that suspending the twins had nothing to do with the Tebowing or religious discrimination, saying the stunt simply made students late for class.

District Schools Superintendent Nancy Carney did not return calls for comment.

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