6/10/13 Tim Tebow

Nick, ten years ago, in his beloved Bledsoe jersey

Strangely, given today's news, Nick's very first jersey, the first quarterback he idolized, the first post he hung in his room? Drew Bledsoe, first while he played for the New England Patriots. He was outraged at the swift ousting of the injured Bledsoe for the up and comer Tom Brady. Nick insisted on getting his jersey when he went to the Bills after being dumped by the Pats and wore that thing everywhere, along with his Buffalo Bills jacket. To be sure, he was the only kid in Navasota wearing Bills gear, but he was going to support his QB.

When Nick started his football career playing in the Grimes county league, he picked #11. 

And Nick has been a Tebow fan since his early days in Florida

2007

And it was with great glee that he watched Tim get drafted by his hometown Broncos in 2010

When he had the opportunity to meet Tim and shake his hand at his book signing, we thought there was nowhere for him to go but up. Nick got the chance to briefly share how inspired he was by Tim.

And then, well, you know. 

When the Jets released Tim last month, I asked Nick who might pick him up. He said the only team he could envision would be the Patriots, since Belichick's style (no media circuses allowed) as well as Josh McDaniels, now their Offensive Coordinator and once the Broncos Head Coach who believed in Tebow to draft him, would be able to coach and work with him after the disastrous and mean spirited crap that is doubtless inside his head after the torturous season with the Jets. 

When they cut him after holding on to him just long enough so that most teams wouldn't want him, post-draft, it stirred up all kinds of emotions in this household. We'd watched, sadly, as he'd been wasted all season, sadly before that when Elway clearly couldn't stand him. You see, it's not just Tim we're seeing. It's Nick. For all the crap, the struggles, the naysayers, the "coaches" who can't or just won't coach someone with an incredible work ethic, the seeming end of the road for a very talented athlete, we see Nick's journey. It's not as grand and it gets no press, but for us, seeing Tim get a chance to keep on playing quarterback, with a team that wants him and might nurture and actually coach him, instead of throwing him into team politics and then on the trash heap, is something that we cannot separate from ourselves. 

So we meet the news today with elation, that the kid will get another chance to play. Because he deserves it. 

You can sort out those pronouns for yourselves.