National Football League

Tebow keeps the faith during Scottsdale stay

Updated Oct. 25, 2022 10:53 a.m. ET

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Tim Tebow drew a crowd recently while working out at a community college in Arizona, but his visit to the desert hasn't only been about football.

Tebow, the New York Jets' frequently talked-about backup quarterback who has been the subject of trade speculation, made an appearance over the weekend at nondenominational Impact Church in Scottsdale, Ariz. Tebow, who is widely known for his Christian missions and professings, was a guest speaker for a Sunday service alongside pastor Travis Hearn and executive pastor Andre Wadsworth.

If that last name looks familiar, it should: Wadsworth was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals out of Florida State, and he went on to play three years — all with Arizona — before retiring after a series of injuries and turning his bible study into Impact Church about three years ago.

Hearn is the team chaplain for the Phoenix Suns and for the Oakland Athletics during spring training, and the church is known to count several local professional athletes among its members. In other words, a guest appearance from Tebow was probably slightly easier to arrange than it would be for your local church.

Tebow, wearing a black, long-sleeve shirt and jeans, spoke about his faith and recounted Bible-related anecdotes from his 2009 national championship win with the Florida Gators and his 2012 wild-card playoff win with the Broncos.

While Tebow has been training recently at Paradise Valley Community College in Scottsdale, not far from the Scottsdale Airpark where Impact Church is located, he has made himself scarce publicly and has not commented on his football future. Many NFL athletes train in the Valley during the offseason — but few draw the sort of attention Tebow has.

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