As if Tim Tebow couldn't be more polarizing, he recently admitted to being a Dallas Cowboys fan.
If that's unsettling news to you, blame Emmitt Smith.
Tebow recently confessed his affection for the Cowboys during a recent public speech. He became a fan because Smith, a former Florida Gators great, was also a Cowboys star.
"I was actually a Dallas Cowboys fan," Tebow said. "I love the University of Florida. I love the Gators. I love Emmitt, and Emmitt Smith went on to be a Cowboy, so I always followed the Cowboys."
Tebow said he loved watching Smith play but never got to meet his idol. That is, until the national championship game his junior year, when an exhausted Tebow took off his helmet on the sideline and let it roll away.
"I leaned over to grab my helmet and, all of a sudden, I see this blinged-out cuff link grab my helmet," Tebow said. "And I see Emmitt Smith with my helmet. And he sticks it in my chest and says, 'Go get them. You've got 20 more minutes. Finish this thing.'
"I was like, What's up, Emmitt Smith?"
A couple of plays later, Tebow was still beaming about meeting Smith as he jogged back onto the field.
"I'm like, 'Percy [Harvin], did you see that? I just gave Emmitt Smith a hug,' " Tebow said. "It was pretty cool to meet him. He was one of my heroes and role models."
Follow Keith Whitmire on Twitter: @Keith_Whitmire
