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The More You Talk About Tebow, The More Money He Makes

In less than a week, the discussions over what team will pick Tim Tebow, and at what position in the draft, will be gone.  We will know where Tebow will call his new home (where you will buy NFL tickets to go see him) and whether he was a first, second, or third round pick.  No matter what round Tebow is selected in, he is already profiting off of the popularity of his name appearing over and over again on paper and on television.  On January 4th, I predicted this would be the case.  The fact that so many people had something good or bad to say about Tebow and his “ability” made him newsworthy every day leading up to the draft.  As I wrote a few months ago,

Tim Tebow shows his emotions.  If he is not smiling on the field, he is probably crying, but he is a guy who any team would want on their side and any company would want endorsing their products.  Whether he makes it as a professional Quarterback or not, he will be successful in life and a great return for any company that invests their money in him.

Nike agreed by giving him roughly $300,000 per year (plus heavy incentives) in a shoe and apparel deal.  Meanwhile, Tebow is signing autographs at $160 a pop.  Don’t worry – Tebow is donating a lot of the money he earns – only making him even more marketable.  And a good friend of mine, Ryan Totka of AthletePromotions.com, has been busy booking Tebow in speaking engagements for college, churches, and corporations.

So when I read that,

Multiple companies told him before the Super Bowl that they could not let him represent their products if he went ahead with his pro-life commercial at the Super Bowl. But Tebow said losing sponsors was a small price to pay for the ability to spread his message about family and faith.

I didn’t feel too bad for him.  He said that comment in a paid speech at Lipscomb University.  He has Nike and EA Sports (who named him NCAA Football 11 Cover Athlete) feeding him money.  He continues to be on top of the world.  As I said to Nathan Crabbe of The Gainesville Sun back in January,

“He will be getting endorsements before he even touches the ball. Tebow’s display of Bible verses in his eye black means most people already associate him with his religious beliefs. Even fans who support abortion rights might respect him for standing up for his beliefs”

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.