The Florida Engineer

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making tebow tick

by nicole cisneros mckeen

Peter's little brother, Timmy — more widely known as Gator Football's go-to quarterback, isn't the only wonder-child in the Tebow family. We're proud to say that Peter Tebow is as fine a young man as they come. Even better, he's a Gator Engineer.

There is more to Peter Tebow than having a famous brother — a lot more.

A soft-spoken 22-year-old, he repeatedly answers questions with Southern self-confidence — Yes Ma'am, No Sir. Tebow is the kind of young man fathers want their daughters to marry and mothers want their sons to befriend.

Tebow, a senior majoring in computer science and minoring in business, says he always had a fondness for computers.

"Growing up being home schooled you have a lot of time to pursue what you are interested in," Tebow said. "I had already taken a few HTML classes. I loved working on computers. I guess that is just what I had my mind set that I wanted to do."

Tebow went to community college for two years. When it came time to take the next step — well, he says there was only one place for him.

"I have always been interested in engineering," Tebow said. "When I was a little kid I always took things apart and put them back together. So the best engineering school in Florida is the University of Florida. UF was the only place I applied."

Tebow first focused on computer software engineering and then moved to computer and information science and engineering. He liked the science application, he said. His favorite class was data structures with associate professor Manuel Bermudez.

"It made sense to me very much on my level," Tebow said. "You could see the real life application immediately. I think professor Bermudez did a great job teaching that course. I love the fact that you are figuring out how something works all the way through."

There Was Really No Option

Growing up, the idea of being a Gator was like eating breakfast — it was part of life. His parents graduated from UF — his father with a degree in physical education and his mother a degree in journalism. Three of the five kids have all been part of the Gator family.

The Tebow clan — Robby, Christy, Katie, Peter and Timmy — all have an aptitude for sports. The brothers mowed a patch of land into a putting green. Peter and Robby both were linebackers at Trinity Christian School in Jacksonville. Robby earned a football scholarship to Carson-Newman College in Tennessee.

And Timmy found a home in The Swamp. If there is one thing the Gator Nation knows how to do, it's crown a king. Tim Tebow might be the reigning monarch of Titletown, but he is just Timmy to big brother Peter.

"Most people see him as an iconic athlete that just performs for Florida Football," Tebow said. "To me he's just my brother. I helped him move out the other day, and he's still just a 19-year-old kid who's very big and very gifted."

That very big kid, for the record, is 6-foot-3-inches. But being the vertically challenged look-a-like of the Swamp Darling isn't so bad, the 5-foot-10-inch Tebow says.

It is Peter "The Help Desk" Tebow whose calling veered from the athletic sort.

He got the nickname from his brother-in-law. Tebow says any time he's at home he is asked to fix everything — the TV remote control, the stereo and of course computer glitches of any kind.

Relatively Normal

The Tebow kids grew up on a 44-acre farm outside Jacksonville, Fla. They had cows — which they slaughtered and ate. Their mother, Pam, home-schooled all of them from preschool through high school — before it was fashionable. They also lived in the Philippines — where Timmy was born — so their father, Bob, could establish an orphanage and an evangelistic ministry.

Today, Bob Tebow runs an orphanage on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. About 50 children live at Uncle Dick's House, named after a man who became a Christian with Bob Tebow's help.

Uncle Dick's House isn't the solemn and dingy stereotype portrayed on American movie screens. This place is full of love and happy kids. It's the Tebows' dedication that keeps it that way.

Peter Tebow visits the orphanage each summer and is usually accompanied by volunteers from the U.S. He says his happiest times are when he's in the Philippines. Missionary work is his passion.

"I was hoping to get a job in the field [computer engineering] to support myself," Tebow said. "I also have a big interest in Christian ministry, and so my heart is torn. Maybe I could do both?"

He says he often thinks about how he can combine his love for computers and his passion for ministry work.

"I have thought about this a lot, and it is something that I have prayed about. 'God, why am I in this crazy hard major when I might end up doing my ministry anyway?' I am not sure I know that answer."