Tim Tebow: God doesn't love athletes more

As he prepares for Saturday night's NFL playoff game between Denver and New England, Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow told "The NFL Today" host James Brown that his parents taught him the perspective he brings to the sport:

"I think number one is, what my mom and dad preached to me when I was a little kid: Just because you may have athletic ability and you may be able to play a sport doesn't make you any more special than anybody else," Tebow said. "Doesn't mean God loves you more than anybody else.

"We play a sport. It's a game. At the end of the day, that's all it is, is a game. It doesn't make you any better or any worse than anybody else. So by winning a game, you're no better. By losing a game, you're no worse. I think by keeping that mentality, it really keeps things in perspective for me to treat everybody the same."

On "CBS This Morning" Brown discussed his interview with Tebow. (The complete interview will air on "The NFL Today" on CBS Saturday, January 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET, prior to the Broncos-Patriots playoff game.)

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"The guy is a wonderful young man," Brown told Charlie Rose. "There is no phoniness in him at all. What you see is what you get. He's been the same way, Charlie, from Pop Warner football. If you can win over a testosterone-laden locker room where there's some crusty hard-nosed guys in there, bottom line is, he's a winner.

"He does come to the NFL level, the highest form of football, without a polished skill set that's associated with an elite level quarterback. But he's overcome challenges each and every step of the way. And hey, if he's learning at the NFL level and he's got his team in the post-season, that's a pretty good athlete in my book."

"The NFL Today" host described the quarterback as self-effacing, who does not want to discuss his charity, such as helping young people with serious health problems. "The big thing with Tebow, he says, 'I'm using football as a platform for bigger and better things,' and who can argue with that?" said Brown.

Watch James Brown's take on Tebow and his thoughts on the NFL playoffs above.

Gayle King also asked Brown about Tebow's declaration of chastity and the temptations facing big-time professional athletes: "You got women walking around practically with their panties on their head going 'Hello, hello!' How realistic do you think that is . . . for him to take this position of 'No, I want to be a virgin, I make no apologies for it'?" she asked.

Brown said Tebow is able to keep focused and not get caught up in the distractions facing many big-time athletes, such as female groupies: "He's prepped for the challenge associated with that. That's probably the biggest hurdle that many athletes have to overcome, is to not get caught up in all the glitz and glamour and pulled down the wrong road."

Watch their exchange by clicking on the video player below.