Tim Tebow Mention by Texas Gov. Rick Perry Shows QB Has Transcended Sports World

With a record of 7-1 since taking over as the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback, Tim Tebow is perceived as a winner. It isn't surprising that others want to capitalize on that, including Republican presidential candidate and Texas governor Rick Perry.

During a FOX News debate, Perry referred to Tebow's two national championships while at the University of Florida. He then called himself the national champion of job creation in Texas and he said he hopes to be the Tim Tebow of the Iowa caucases.

While Tebow has perhaps been the biggest story in sports in recent months, his mention by Perry proves that he has transcended sports and landed in the public consciousness. This is something that rarely happens with athletes unless they're somebody like Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods.

In terms of skill level, Tebow is nowhere near where Jordan and Woods have been in their respective sports, but no athlete is more talked about than Tebow is currently. In a lot of ways, it was probably smart of Perry to drop Tebow's name, as it allows the general public to relate to him.

As far as the Tebow comparison goes, it's difficult to say what Perry was driving at. I can only assume that he equates Tebow with being a winner, and thus he hopes to be like Tim Tebow at the ever-important Iowa Caucus.

He could also be making mention of Tebow's comeback ability. Tebow has led his team on fourth-quarter comeback drives in each of the past four weeks and he simply has a knack of coming through when the chips are stacked against him.

There is no clear frontrunner for the Republican nomination at the moment, but Perry isn't exactly in the picture either. A win or at least a great performance at the Iowa Caucus could give Perry some momentum moving forward and perhaps help score him the presidential bid from out of nowhere.

Perry also compares to Tebow in a way because he is unorthodox in comparison to his counterparts. Tebow has a strange, left-handed throwing motion and would rather run than pass most of the time, so many football fans don't understand how he can be succeeding.

As a Tea Party candidate, Perry is in a similar situation since he is battling mostly traditional Republicans for the nomination. Tebow uses his quirks to his advantage and that is something Perry would be best served doing as well.

Basically, it's very easy to see why Perry brought Tebow into the conversation. Tebow is the hottest name in sports at the moment, and due to his non-traditional style, religious beliefs and overall success, he is a very polarizing figure.

Tebow has officially become a household name, even after just 11 NFL starts. I can only imagine how much his popularity will skyrocket if he finds a way to beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on Sunday.