Tebow talks bus rides, dreams on 'Tonight Show'
Tim Tebow finally revealed Tuesday night why he's pursuing a baseball career."I'm obviously doing it for the money," Tebow told Jimmy Fallon on NBC's The Tonight Show. "I think I get like $1,200 a month. I'm in it for the money."Tebow -- joking, of course -- stopped by the late-night program
"I'm obviously doing it for the money," Tebow told Jimmy Fallon on NBC's The Tonight Show. "I think I get like $1,200 a month. I'm in it for the money."
Tebow -- joking, of course -- stopped by the late-night program to talk baseball and offer his advice for people chasing their dreams before shocking a fan in the audience with a prom-like dance. The appearance came at the end of Tebow's four-game road trip with Class A Columbia in Lakewood, New Jersey, which is about an hour south of Fallon's show in Manhattan.
The 29-year-old outfielder went 0-for-10 with five strikeouts in three games at Lakewood, but it didn't sour his outlook or sense of humor on Tuesday.
"I love it," he said. "My first love was playing baseball when I was 4 years old."
Tebow, who signed with the Mets last September following an up-and-down football career, recalled a story of playing baseball as a child and wearing Frank Thomas' No. 35 with a youth team called the White Sox.
Read more: Tebow drawing huge crowds, delighting fans in Minors
"I started to get older and I also loved that thing called football -- I was pretty passionate about that," he said.
After Fallon praised him for winning the Heisman Trophy, Tebow had a quick response.
"That was nice. Also got cut by three or four teams," he said, drawing laughs from the audience.
"That's not that funny, guys," he said, glaring into the crowd.
The former NFL star also spoke about the infamously grueling bus rides that all Minor Leaguers are subjected to. Tebow remains a huge celebrity, but it hasn't helped him escape the reality of the road, he said.
"Yeah, we're on the bus," he said. "A couple days ago we traveled from South Carolina right over here to Jersey, just finished up a four-game stretch there. It was like a 12-hour bus ride. Perfect."
The former Broncos and Jets quarterback said he bought his teammates a mattress for a little extra comfort on the bus.
"I bought like a little mattress that goes right in between the seats," he laughed.
He also had a message for his critics and doubters.
"Every day, I enjoy it every single day. I think it's so important to actually love what you do," he said. "We talk about that, but how many times do we actually live it? For me, going into this pursuit, there was so much criticism. But for me, it's -- why? I just want to do something I love. I want to pursue it, I want to have fun every single day and do something I love and not let fear or criticism or the unknown cripple me by not being able to pursue what I love."
Photos: Tebow the center of attention in Lakewood
Fallon, who plays a crazed Red Sox fanatic in the movie Fever Pitch, then asked what many have wondered -- can Tebow really reach the Major Leagues?
"Is there a chance we might see you play at Citi Field for the New York Mets?" Fallon asked.
"Hopefully, that's the goal," Tebow responded.
"I mean, that would be the best, that would be such a great story," Fallon added.
Tebow then reminded Fallon that the host is a Yankees fan.
"I'm a Yankees fan," Fallon said, "but I'll root for you, absolutely."
Watch the full clips below:
Danny Wild is an editor for MiLB.com. Follow his MLBlog column, Minoring in Twitter.