With Super Bowl weekend just 11 days away, football is on the national consciousness.

Lately, Tim Tebow has also been on the country's radar...or in the hot seat, depending on who you ask. The young quarterback is not new to superstardom. Indeed, he enjoyed success as a homeschooled, football prodigy and later led his Gator team to a national college championship while snagging a coveted Heisman trophy along the way. Tebow now leads the Denver Broncos with the same passion, spunk and...well...faith.

And it is this faith that often plants Tebow dead center in the gauntlet.

Critics exclaim that the scripture notes on his eye-black patches, or "religious references," (that is, testimonies when interviewed by the press) should be kept private, given that football is a public game. Notwithstanding, Tebow remains unabashedly Christian in a league that is known for bad boys.

While other players slam dunk balls and break into lively gyrations upon scoring, Tebow can be counted on to bow and thank God for the blessing. So much so, that Youtube, Facebook and Twitter are bursting at the seams with clips of "Te-bowing" in mockery of the young quarterback. What's more, Tebow's been dubbed a "goody, two-shoe," "annoying softie" and worse.

Unfazed by the ridicule, Tebow has continued to give glory to His maker...a God who was big enough to fashion Tebow's talent, design the game of football and all of the complicated rules and plays that go along with it...plus the whole earth and the fullness thereof.

Thousands of young Christian athletes are inspired to no longer walk...or play, for that matter...in silence. Tebow's low-key but firm witness demonstrates that while our faith ought not be the showbiz type, lest we become like the flashy Pharisees of Christ's days, neither should it be hidden under a bushel.

Throughout his finest moments, of which there are many, Tebow acted the way God calls Christians to; he thrust attention from himself to the Father. Little wonder then that John 3:16 - Tebow favorite eye black scripture - was the most Google-searched term during the NFL playoffs.

Throughout this NFL season, millions tuned into Broncos games to see whether Tebow would literally fumble or score. To be sure, there were times when he did both. Whether he made it to the Super Bowl or not, though, Tebow definitely won.

Ana Valeska is a not-so-naughty librarian, college instructor, book editor and--yeah,baby--NEWD columnist. Her forthcoming work, Tu Eres (You Are), is a devotional based on modern-day worship psalms. Ana Valeska longs to help redeem urban, young adult culture for the Lord Jesus. Her daughter, Selena, and cat, Puffles, have her wrapped around their little fingers.