GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Tim Tebow said Friday he is “pausing his relationship” with Life Surge, a Christian organization that’s been accused of using predatory sales tactics to exploit its followers’ faith and financial insecurity. Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner who is currently a college football analyst with ESPN’s SEC Nation, said his team is conducting an internal investigation. He spoke on campus in advance of the Mississippi-Florida game at Florida Field on Saturday. “The allegations are extremely, extremely serious, and it’s something that we take very serious,” Tebow said. “So, for us, we’re having our team do an investigation, but also pausing our relationship ‘til we can learn more about the facts to be able to understand more.” Tebow said he was “caught off guard” by the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast that focused partly on Tebow’s speaking engagements with Life Surge. “I was at an anti-human trafficking conference (Thursday), and my team shared (it) with me when we were leaving as we were flying to Alabama for the event, and kind of caught off guard with some of it,” Tebow said. “I think that’s why I’m really trying to understand more of the facts to really learn it.” His message to his loyal followers amid the allegations: “It’s really important to get answers to understand every bit of that,” he said. “My heart ... was to be able to share something that I love to share, which is the love of Christ and the good news of the gospel. And so I think it’s really important that we can really understand all the facts and details of it.” The podcast’s investigation raised questions about Tebow’s knowledge of the organization’s practices. Life Surge, which hosts around 30 events annually, typically brings in Christian celebrities like Tebow to headline events. At Life Surge’s one-day events, attendees are urged to sign up for impact classes that pitch packages ranging from US$10,000 to US$40,000, according to the podcast. If attendees can’t afford the price tag, Life Surge reportedly connects them with third-party lenders who encourage them to apply for credit cards or take out home-equity loans, according to the podcast. Life Surge has denied any wrongdoing, according to the podcast. Mark Long, The Associated Press
