NFL: Denver Broncos QB Tim Tebow speaks Filipino

His breakout season has sparked renewed interest in a two-year-old video where he responds to Filipino-American fans in the native language. Less known top his American football fans is his relationship to the Philippines where he was born to American missionary parents and where he returns regularly for charity work. 

 

In the Youtube clip description, user "jgatorgirl" wrote about an interaction between the former Florida Gator and her sister who raised a sign that said: "Tebow is the Pacquiao of Football".

 

Tebow smiled and responded by saying "Salamat" (Thank you) and "Mahal kita" (I love you) to the delight of the Filipino-American fan.

 

 

Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow was born on August 14, 1987 in Makati. He lived in the Philippines until he was three years old. To date, the football star's charity foundation continues to support communities in the Philippines, especially in Mindanao. He has spent many summers in the Philippines, and his knowledge of the language has not escaped his fans.

 

On another Youtube channel, ESNEWS, Tebow was being interviewed at the 2010 ESPY awards when reporter Elie Seckbach asked the football star about his knowledge of the Tagalog language.

 

"It's ok. I know a little bit of Tagalog. Not enough to necessarily speak it, but I can get around with it," said Tebow.

 

When the reporter asked "Are you the best Filipino football player ever?"

 

Tebow laughed, and said: 

 

"I don't know. That's a very good question. I don't know how many Filipino football players there are."

 

 

Tebow was injured in the Denver Broncos' 45-10 loss to three-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots Sunday morning (Manila time). The loss ended the Broncos' storybook run. Denver started the season with a 1-4 win-loss record before inserting Tebow as the starting quarterback. After Tebow's string of starts, the Broncos won seven out of their next eight games to claim the American Football League West title. — JVP/HS, GMA News