Fall 2024

Tim Tebow enlists 'Forrest Gump' actor in production of inspirational sports movie

Even after Tim Tebow suffered a season-ending hand injury that cost him a shot at hitting Major League Baseball this fall, his team said 2018 was “nothing but a positive” for the NFL quarterback-turned-baseball prospect.

It turns out that statement applies to more than sports, too.

In an exclusive story for USA Today, Bryan Alexander reported Tuesday that Tebow, once the NFL’s most talked-about man, has wrapped production on his first feature film. Starring Mykleti Williamson (“Forest Gump,” “Fences”), the movie — dubbed “Run the Race” — is set for a future theatrical release with Tebow as executive producer. Filmmaker Jake McEntire recruited Tebow and his brother, Robby, for the movie, per Alexander, and it depicts a Tebow-esque tale of inspiration in sports:

“Run the Race” follows two fictional high school brothers whose father abandons them after their mother dies. All-State high school football player Zach (Tanner Stine) earns a college scholarship, but receives a devastating injury. Brother David (Evan Hofer) laces up his track cleats to salvage their future and show what’s possible when you run to – instead of from – the love of God.

Also starring Frances Fisher (“Titanic,” “The Lincoln Lawyer”) with a cameo from former NFL running back Eddie George, the flick developed thanks to McEntire and Robby Tebow, who were also “communicating frequently with Tim, who was traveling constantly for baseball.” The latter then “used his muscle,” as Alexander tells it, “to get permission to film pivotal scenes at his alma mater, the University of Florida.”

Tebow’s foray into the entertainment industry — apparently not unlike that of another devout Christian athlete in Stephen Curry — won’t interfere with his baseball dreams, according to Alexander. But he’s already promised to welcome “Run the Race” once it gets a release date, complete with a red-carpet premiere.

A first-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos in 2010, Tebow was a Heisman Trophy winner with the Gators before lasting six years in the NFL. An avid Christian who’s used his platform to repeatedly proclaim his faith and aid communities, particularly those affected by disabilities, the former QB has been working toward a career in baseball since 2016. He was named a Double-A All-Star in 2018 with the New York Mets’ Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

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