I think he is pretty honest. He is not a great quarterback. (I have discussed this at length with my husband). And having read Krista P's comments below, I am confirmed in mine and my husband's opinion about his abilities. He is not a good NFL quarterback. Not BAD, but not good. He is a runner. IF the team he is playing for has a running offense, then he might be a good fit, but most of the teams out there (and Denver was one of them) has a passing offense. Tim can run, he can't pass.
He plays with heart. He studies the game. He works hard. All those things. But he doesn't have natural talent at throwing. It just isn't his thing. Did Denver win some games and get through part of the playoffs? Yes. But the media/fan coverage about it was totally off base. They gave Tebow credit for all the good, and the offensive line all the blame for any failures. Well, that isn't how football works. The offensive line had to TOTALLY recreate their plays to accommodate Tebow's lack of skill throwing the football.
I'm not slamming him at all. But he is not the "natural talent" that you usually see in the QB position in the NFL. I have heard it said that he would make a great receiver instead of QB. I don't know.
I know that most of the media coverage he gets is too focused on the "persona" and what his fans think/want. NOT on his actual skills and the realities of the game they are discussing.
Is he a good person? I think he tries hard to be, and it shows. Do I think his faith is real? Yeah, I do. I don't think it is about garnering him more attention. But it certainly has attracted hordes of evangelical Christians that otherwise wouldn't be following NFL like they have been (think of all the women that are now following the NFL)... and they don't really understand all the in's and out's of the professional game and how teams work. They just think he's great and want to see him play.
MOST rookies don't start their first couple of years out of college. He needs more time to develop and the fans won't allow him to have that, and it will be his downfall. But again, he may never develop fully as an NFL QB, because he is not a passing game QB. That just isn't his natural skill set.
I think his work ethic and clean living is a good role model. But I think somebody can be a good role model without all the insanity that follows him everywhere. And that isn't his fault--just what the media does. And we all hate the media, right? They give us what they think we want, even when they're wrong. They become the story as much as they report it anymore.
I feel bad for Sanchez of the Jets. The first time he hits the field, the fans are gonna boo him and scream for Tebow. And that isn't right. All the evangelical fans won't recognize that Sanchez is out there doing his job too and is just as deserving of a little time to develop and work through mistakes. They'll just be screaming for Tebow. And it WILL create tension in the locker room. No matter how good a guy Tebow is or Sanchez is. How could it not, when the fans are booing the starting quarterback to be replaced by a rookie? That's what happened in Denver. Even over and above the already in place back-up quarterback.