Is Tim Tebow the ultimate clutch player in the NFL? Chuck Norris thinks so. In an editorial for World Net Daily, Norris defended the Heisman winner and petitioned Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan to sign him.
Norris, the 73-year-old actor and martial artist, published his Tebow-friendly article on Sunday. He described Tebow as the "Ultimate Clutch Player," a warrior who is extremely determined to win. While Tebow hardly touched the field last season with the New York Jets, Norris has seen plenty to form his opinion.
"Tim's 2011 season with the Denver Broncos was one of the most remarkable in football history," Norris wrote.
"I've heard the so-called critics say Tebow has poor technical skills, but the truth is that Tim is a natural-born leader, an amazingly gifted football player, an inspiration to his team and the possessor of intense determination and strategy to bring any team to victory victory — no matter what the odds," he added. "One can improve technique, but leadership is innate. That is why I believe Tebow could be a super star and legend in the NFL."
He then proceeded to pitch Tebow to the Jacksonville front office.
"So, Mr. Shad Khan - the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, David Caldwell - their general manager and coach Gus Bradley, I would give the preceding some serious thought. Whatever you would pay Tebow would be recouped tenfold by the increase in attendance and fan base. With Tim as the quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, they would add thousands (if not tens of thousands) of additional fans to the stadium, including me — even though I don't live in Florida!"
Norris even included a Martin Luther King Jr. quotation in his pitch to Khan: "There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right."
This is the second petition of sorts to get Jacksonville to sign 25-year-old Tebow. While Norris expressed his unwavering faith in Tebow's intangibles, several NFL coaches have said they wouldn't sign Tebow because of the "media circus" that follows him.
The Jets released Tebow in April after the media frenzy and subsequent debacle in New York last season. He cleared waivers and remains a free agent.
