Tebow, Lin among Time's "100 most influential"

(CBS News) Time has unveiled its annual "100 Most Influential People in the World" list and predictably Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin did not go unnoticed by the magazine.

In fact, Time's editors managed to fuse Tebow-mania and Lin-sanity by asking the Knicks point guard to write the essay on the Jets quarterback. Lin's assessment:

"Watching Tim Tebow play football, you can observe many things about his character. You see his fierce competitiveness, his strong work ethic and how he is a leader that his teammates trust and respect.

But it is the qualities that Tim, 24, embodies in his life off the field that truly set him apart. He is unashamed of his convictions and faith, and he lives a life that consistently reflects his values, day in and day out. Through his foundation, he constantly reaches out to people and communities in need of hope. He realizes what he has been blessed with and seeks to help those who are worse off. As athletes, we pour our hearts into winning games. Tim is a reminder that life is about much more than that."

As for Lin, U.S. Secretary of Education (and former Harvard hoopster) Arne Duncan - was enlisted to write about the Knicks' phenom. Duncan writes: "Jeremy cares only about one thing -- winning. And I don't care whether you are an Asian-American kid, white, black or Hispanic, Jeremy's story tells you that if you show grit, discipline and integrity, you too can get an opportunity to overcome the odds."

Other athletes to make Time's 2012 list included tennis star Novak Djokovic, No. 1 women's golfer Yani Tseng and double-amputee Oscar Pistorius.