Tim Tebow Announces Death of Father Bob at Age 78 in Social Media Tribute, 'He's Home'

Former NFL and University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow announced Friday that his father, Bob Tebow, died Thursday night. He was 78 years old.

Tebow disclosed the news in posts on X and Instagram:

"Heaven ushered in a hero of the faith last night as my Dad was welcomed home," Tebow wrote. "Many will say sorry for your loss but the truth is he's not lost, we know exactly where he is. He's home. Forever! I asked him last week what he looked forward to most about Heaven, and he simply said, 'Jesus.' He couldn't wait to see Jesus face to face. Praise God that his wait is over. Death has been swallowed up in victory. He's healed and whole now. So we don't mourn as those with no hope. See you soon Dad!"

According to Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun, Bob Tebow was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2016 and had recently been confined to a wheelchair.

Bob and his wife, Pamela Tebow, had five children, all of whom were home-schooled in the Jacksonville, Florida, area, per Brockway.

Tim Tebow was among them, and during his time at the University of Florida, he went on to become the first home-schooled player to ever win the Heisman Trophy.

Tebow established himself as one of the greatest college quarterbacks of all time, winning the Heisman in 2007 to go along with a pair of national championships.

The Denver Broncos selected Tebow with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, and although he only played two seasons in Denver, he led the Broncos to a playoff appearance and an upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Round in 2011.

Tebow went on to spend the 2012 season with the New York Jets as a utility player, and he also had stints with the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars, although he never appeared in a regular-season game for those franchises.

In 2023, Tebow was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and he is currently a college football analyst for SEC Network and ESPN.