Cardinals Pitcher Adam Wainwright Says He's 'Obsessed With Tim Tebow,' Calls Quarterback His Favorite Athlete

Tim Tebow's magic may have run out against the Patriots on Saturday night, but you can bet St. Louis Cardinals hurler Adam Wainwright is still a fan of the Denver quarterback.

Prior to Saturday's divisional round game, Wainwright expressed plenty of admiration for Tebow, particularly the fearlessness the quarterback shows when it comes to discussing his faith in a public forum.

"I am obsessed with Tim Tebow," Wainwright said. "I'm not afraid to say it. It's almost embarrassing to us athletes that this much emphasis is put on Tim Tebow because that means we aren't living our lives as we should. If we did that more often, the way he is living wouldn't be as big a story. I'm so proud of him for living out his faith."

Wainwright, a devout Christian himself, even called Tebow his favorite athlete.

"Tim Tebow is such a great role model," he said. "I feel like he's the face of sports right now, and rightfully so. He gives the whole nation something to believe in. It's a story of hope."

It remains to be seen if and for how long the Tebow phenomenon continues, but the Broncos QB has undoubtedly been the most talked-about athlete in recent weeks. Hearing other athletes speak so glowingly about him brings the infatuation to a whole other level, though.

A hat tip to NBC's Hardball Talk for pointing out Wainwright's admiration for Tebow.

Tim Tebow: The man behind the mania

Zack McLeod is Tim Tebow's kind of player — and man. And vice-versa.

The 20-year-old former high school football player won't snag any touchdown throws from his hero Saturday at Gillette Stadium when the Denver Broncos' on-field miracle-worker challenges the New England Patriots in an AFC Divisional playoff game. But McLeod just may catch a pass — and more compassion and love than he ever might have imagined.

As kickoff approaches, Tebow will do what he always does at pressure-packed times — give of himself. The 24-year-old quarterback will spend precious moments with McLeod , who suffered a traumatic brain injury during a preseason game in 2008. They plan to meet on the sidelines as part of the Tebow Foundation's Wish 15 program that grants special requests for young people with serious medical issues.

"When we told Zack (this week), he just screamed, 'Nooooo waaaay!' " says his father, Pat McLeod, who along with his wife, Tammy, work as Harvard University chaplains. " We are hoping Tim will throw him a pass. Zack still has great hands."

One thing is certain: McLeod will receive a Tebow hug.

The son of evangelical missionaries, Tebow — voted America's new favorite athlete in the latest ESPN Sports poll — says giving a warm embrace and words of encouragement to those in need "puts everything into perspective" before an important game.

"We're playing a game, and you want to win, but you know that it's not the end of the world," Tebow says . "Even a bad loss on the football field is better than spending a day (recovering) in a hospital."

Tebow discussed a wide range of topics in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY this week, including how he copes with his fame, which seems to gain by leaps and bounds with each week.

The latest flashpoint came Sunday on the heels of Tebow and the Broncos struggling during a three-game losing streak to end the regular season. But in a wild-card playoff game against Pittsburgh, Tebow led the Broncos to a 29-23 upset of the Steelers with an 80-yard pass that ended the overtime thriller in a record 11 seconds. The can't-miss moment prompted the internet to spasm with a flood of tweets.

"I don't have to live the rollercoaster other people live with my life," he says. "It's hard because people try to have an effect. I try to stay centered in my faith and my family and the close people around me."

Living a private life

Tebow's well-documented empathy and humanitarianism are easier to comprehend than Tebow the person, vastly more complex than Tebow the phenomenon. Attempting to uncover nuggets regarding his real-world life beyond touchdown passes and charitable deeds is like trying to mine for gold in a dry Colorado creek bed. Corralling the otherwise-frisky Bronco to talk about himself can be a pleasant chore.

Ceaselessly cordial and accommodating, the media-savvy former Heisman Trophy winner surrenders very little regarding his personal life beyond perfunctory, sometimes well-rehearsed answers that reveal little. He is good-natured, exceedingly polite as he adroitly scrambles from questions he prefers not to directly address.

"I think he's loosening up a little bit," says Andrew Mason, editor and publisher of MaxDenver.com, which chronicles the Broncos . "But I think we would all like to learn a little bit more about what makes him tick. For the moment, I see no reason not to believe that this is who he is."

Tebow rarely discusses his frustrations with the sharper edges of fame and fortune. Most do not know it, but the conscientious quarterback is a closet worrier. The cocoon-ish isolation of superstardom prompts him to conclude, "It's hard to create new friendships outside sports."

Told that the public does not know much regarding his private life beyond his strong religious convictions, the hunky 6-3, 245-pound quarterback — who peddles underwear for Jockey in bare-chested advertisements — laughs nervously.

"I feel like I'm pretty open about stuff …if people look into it," he says a bit hesitantly. "Outside of football and training, I am somewhat of a homebody. Love hangin' out with my siblings and close friends. It is my favorite thing to do in the world. Love laughing — love tellin' jokes. I really try to enjoy life and have joy with what I do. I don't know, I guess that's a little inside look at me."

Simple pleasures for a somewhat-complicated young man, one who certainly is no off-the-field NFL throwback when it comes to the marquee position.

Back in a bawdier days of professional football, some wildly popular quarterbacks showed off their non-conformity, arrogance and pure, unadulterated bad-boy behavior.

The New York Jets' "Broadway Joe" Namath wore blondes on both arms in late-night haunts. Ken Stabler liked to say that he studied the Raiders' playbook by the light of the jukebox in Oakland honky-tonks. Jim McMahon, the Chicago Bears' chief iconoclast, mooned a helicopter during a Super Bowl practice.

Hard partying and all-nighters seemed the norm. More recently, the introduction of personal brand-building and greater image buffing, miniature cameras built into cell phones and 24-hour instant-news disseminators, such as Twitter and Facebook, seem to reduce publicly outlandish naughtiness and foster greater circumspection.

John Elway knows what it is like to be a stud pro quarterback. The two-time Super Bowl-winner and Hall of Famer was the toast of Denver during his heyday, and he candidly acknowledges that he enjoyed the perks. Now 51 and the Broncos' executive vice president of football operations, Elway keenly understands that the public, often jaded with the highly buffed public veneers of some athletes, might wonder about Tebow, despite his reputation for embodying Christian values.

"Is he too good to be true?" asks Elway .

Elway quickly answers his own query: "I think that's how the media represent it. But that is how we see him (as genuine). Tim is beyond his years" on and off the field.

"His maturity level with dealing with the pressures of what comes with playing the position (is enviable)," Elway says. "If you watch how he handles each press conference, that is truly who he is. It is not an act. It is a credit to his background and his parents. There is no question that, from where I sit, his priorities are different than those of most 24-year-olds."

More to life than football

Indeed. The young left-hander with the unorthodox playing style appears to have a very orthodox, if generally secluded, lifestyle. Tebow's name rarely pops up in Denver society columns — and never with a whiff of scandal. He says he would rather serve others, including his desire to extend his foundation's plan to support orphans around the world and build a hospital in Davao City in the Philippines, which is scheduled to break ground in March.

"Tim believes there is more to life than football," says foundation executive director Erik Dellenback.

Tebow does not imbibe, proudly display rivers of tattoo ink on his sculpted physique or hang out in posh nightclubs. Raised and home-schooled on a 44-acre farm outside Jacksonville, Fla., he says he takes the notion of personal responsibility seriously.

"The biggest reason I don't (consume alcohol) is because (if I have) a glass of wine, I don't want to be responsible for a kid looking up to me and saying, 'Hey, Tebow's doin' it — I am going to do it.' And then he makes a bad decision."

Tebow is the antithesis of Charles Barkley when it comes to the issue of role models.

"Yes sir. Because, like it or not, it is serious," he says.

No vices? No temptations?

"Nope," he says. Tebow pauses, racking his snow-cap-covered head to come up with something.

"Love ice cream," he says. "I let myself have that about once a week. Vanilla."

Tebow giggles. OK, he admits, maybe occasionally he will take the pleasure of adding a brownie with his ice cream, which is a healthy version, he says, because it is homemade.

"There is one thing weird about me," he adds. "In the NFL, you know how people love going to fancy restaurants? I am not a fancy-restaurant guy. I am a good-tasting steak-and-potatoes guy."

Last summer, Tebow did enjoy the extravagance of N9NE, an upscale steakhouse at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, where he was working a promotion event for Nike. Along with running back Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings, cornerback Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions, the foursome had their photograph taken with executive chef Barry Dakake.

However, Tebow finds social gatherings in public quite difficult for the same reason all celebrities cite: Lack of privacy. Hence, he prefers to limit his free time to intimate gatherings with family and long-time friends, a virtual prisoner of his own burgeoning popularity.

"Sometimes you want to go to dinner and hang with friends, but you don't want to sign (autographs) or take pictures the whole time," he says. "But I am just like anyone else; I like meeting new people."

Which naturally leads to the subject of much internet speculation — Tebow's romantic relationships with the opposite sex. Or, he says, lack thereof.

Recently, the quarterback was linked to professional skier Lindsey Vonn after "Tebowing" — Vonn genuflected on one knee and prayed as Tebow does after a touchdown or a victory — following her first World Cup win on a U.S. slope last month.

Not true, he says. Vonn is a family friend. The Tebows met her at the ESPYs award show.

Tebow does not have a girlfriend because he says he is "too busy with football and life and …it's hard." He offers no elaboration, deftly and quickly re-routing an interview.

A few minutes later, Tebow, an acknowledged virgin, is asked if he is besieged with women trying to meet him through a variety of social-networking methods.

"Umm, good question,'' he says, smiling. "First, I am very blessed to have a close-knit (group of family and friends) around me. I am not out there doing a lot of things. I guess it is one of the frustrating things where I am (in life). I love meeting and talking with new people, socializing and hanging out. But people can read that the wrong way."

Tebow says he "always has been careful about leading girls on.''

"I always want to be very careful about that,'' he says. "That is one thing that's a little frustrating."

Helping others

Tebow does not allow that frustration to seep out. His unbridled joy and passion is most evident when he surrounds himself with young admirers, particularly those suffering with physical limitations who could use an inspirational jolt of his magnetic personality.

Such was the case last weekend in Denver when he met Bailey Knaub, 16, after his foundation provided four tickets and other goodies for her family to attend the Broncos' wild-card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Loveland, Colo., high school student suffers from a rare vascular disorder that has led to more than 70 surgeries the last decade — including the removal of her left lung in 2010.

Incredibly, less than 15 minutes before kickoff, Tebow finished warming up and approached the girl on the sidelines, telling her, "Bailey, I've been looking forward to meeting you." He gave her a big hug and presented her with an autographed football.

"It was very emotional — we haven't seen her that happy in a long time," says her mother, Kathy. "You could tell by how he was talking to Bailey that he was not doing this for publicity or any other reason than he likes kids. He really is an exceptional guy."

Bailey thinks so, too.

"My heart was going like a million miles an hour," she says.

"He was amazing — so sweet, kind and generous. He just made me feel so special.

"It was the best day of my life.''

Hitler reacts to Tim Tebow beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC

Hitler finds out that Tim Tebow beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC playoffs in OT and he's not too happy about it.

Whether you hate Tebow or love Tebow, you're going to get something out of this video.

Tim Tebow sparks Broncos' OT win over Dolphins

For 54 minutes, Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos couldn't score.

Then they couldn't be stopped.

Tebow rallied the Broncos with two touchdown passes in the final 2:44 of the fourth quarter to force overtime, and Matt Prater's 52-yard field goal gave them an improbable 18-15 victory over the stunned Miami Dolphins on Sunday. This was winning "ugly", but one of the best comebacks in NFL History.

The Broncos appeared beaten when they trailed 15-0 with 5:23 left and took over at their 20-yard line. At that point, Tebow was 4-of-14 passing for 40 yards.

But Tebow led TD drives of 80 and 56 yards, sandwiched around a successful onside kick, and he scored a two-point conversion standing up with 17 seconds left to tie the score.

In overtime, Denver's D.J. Williams sacked Miami quarterback Matt Moore to force a fumble and recovered it at the Dolphins' 36. Three plays later, Prater hit the winning field goal.

The Broncos (2-4) won for the first time in the eight games they've played on the Dolphins' field. Miami (0-6) extended the NFL's longest losing streak to nine games, leaving embattled coach Tony Sparano's status even more tenuous.

The Dolphins lost for the 12th time in their past 13 home games.

To see highlights of the Broncos' win CLICK HERE

Can you blame Brady Quinn for rushing to Alicia Sacramone's bedside?

From bench to bedside, Brady Quinn has sure done a lot of sitting lately. On Sunday, Kyle Orton was benched in favor of Tim Tebow, who nearly engineered a comeback win over San Diego. Quinn, who seems like the odd-man-out is using his time to be a good boyfriend. Quinn’s girlfriend, elite gymnast Alicia Sacramone, ruptured her Achilles tendon while in Tokyo preparing for the world championships. She is having surgery Monday and tweeted that Quinn will be by her side.

Best boyfriend award goes to @BQ9 for taking the red eye from Denver to be here for my surgery today...just another reason why I love him.

Brady Quinn, number three on your depth chart, number one in Alicia Sacramone’s heart. While Brady is rushing for his girlfriend, Tebow is rushing for touchdowns. Quinn has not taken a snap in a regular season pro game since 2009, and he has been completely marginalized in the Bronco’s QB discussion, but he is the best boyfriend.

Can you blame Quinn for rushing to her bedside? Might as well go with the sure thing, right Brady? Not only was he stuck behind a talentless neck-bearded quarterback, but just when he thinks he’s about to get his shot, he’s replaced with the most talked about white Bronco since 1994. You would think that Tebow is the next John Elway with how highly regarded he is by Denver fans. Poor Brady Quinn, not even your sister could bring herself to completely root for you in 2006. I’m sure Brady’s day will come, but for now he sits and waits….. for his girlfriend to get better.