Tim Tebow: I'd rather be known for saving babies from abortions than winning Super Bowls

Tim Tebow may not have had the NFL career that many hoped he would, but it does not seem to be a priority to him. As the keynote speaker at "LIV-ing in Victory," a football-themed banquet on Feb. 11 organized by Kansans for Life, the former Heisman Trophy winner said he has other priorities in life, like saving babies from abortions.

LiveAction reported that in his remarks, Tebow thanked the attendees at the Overland Park Convention Center for "having courage in the face of a lot of other people who don't have it and for your willingness to be up here and support this organization."

'It matters more than winning the Super Bowl'

The former football star said it's more important to save babies from abortion than winning Super Bowls.

"It really does mean a lot more than winning the Super Bowl," he told the crowd. "One day, when you look back and people are talking about you and they say, 'Oh my gosh, what are you going to be known for?' Are you going to say Super Bowl, or we saved a lot of babies?"

Tebow, who is open about his Christian faith, said his pro-life efforts are part of his own "rescue mission."

"It's a rescue mission. You know why we call it a rescue mission? Because when we say that, it puts a timeline on it," Tebow said.

He added, "When's the last time you heard a rescue mission taking place in a month or a few years? No, a rescue mission means now. It gives you a sense of urgency. It says we have to go not because it's our time, but because it's their time. … I have to live a sense of urgency because while I might have time, they don't."

He was almost aborted himself

Tebow, who is now a minor league outfielder for the New York Mets, also told the story of how, as the smallest among five siblings, he is occasionally called "Timmy the tumor," a reference to when his mother thought he was a tumor when she was pregnant with him.

"To make a long story short, when I was born, they found out the placenta wasn't actually attached. So, the doctor looked at my mom after 37 years of being a doctor and said, 'This is the biggest miracle I've ever seen because I'm not sure how he's alive.' … I'm so grateful that my mom trusted God with my life and her life."

Tebow concluded his remarks with an encouraging message for the pro-life movement:

What you're doing here matters. You're fighting for life. You're fighting for people that can't fight for themselves. And my question to you is: Are you willing to stand up in the face of persecution, in the face of adversity, in the face of criticism, when other people are going to say it's not worth it, when other people won't stand beside you? Maybe not everybody is going to be with you. Will you stand up for what's right?