Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow took NFL fans on a rollercoaster ride this season: one moment, he was Denver’s mile-high messiah, the next, he looked inexperienced and incapable of passing a football. But more polarizing than Tebow’s play was his outspokenness about his religious devotion. Whether you view his candor as sincere spirituality or think he should tone down the religious rhetoric, you have to admit: the man has a flair for football theatre.

After stumbling into the playoffs, Tebow led his Broncos to a nail-biting overtime win over the heavily favored Steelers. The next week, the Patriots knocked a struggling Broncos offense out of the playoffs, largely due to Tebow’s dismal numbers: only 136 passing yards on 9/26 completions. The attention surrounding Tebow’s playoff run, however, lasted only a few days—Tebow’s constant preaching of his faith has attracted scrutiny from fans and the media for months.

For some, Tebow’s constant talk of the Powers That Be is tiresome at best, inappropriate at the worst. In a recent SNL skit, Jesus visited a mock Tebow in the locker room and advised the young quarterback to tone it down. But even if you can’t stand his religious chatter, criticism of Tebow’s outspokenness is unwarranted.

Sports heroes all have peculiarities, and Tebow is no different. But in today’s culture, Tebow lands harsher criticism for discussing his religion than Ray Lewis does for his alleged involvement in the murder of two men at a club in 2000, or Kobe Bryant does for allegedly raping a woman in 2004. Performance-enhancing drugs are abundant in nearly every professional sport: Alex Rodriguez, Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds are a few of the better-known offenders. Criminals and cheaters are commonplace in the sports world, but kids across the U.S. still have posters of these “heroes” on their walls. Tebow’s offenses (which I myself can’t identify) pale in comparison to such conduct.

It’s easy enough for Tebow to talk the holy talk, but he’s also walked the holy walk. Among other worthy causes, Tebow founded the Tim Tebow Foundation to aid hospitals and orphanages. Sure, Tebow isn’t the only athlete to use his fame as a platform for charity. But with Tebow, fans get a sense that the man is as genuine a mensch as ever strutted down the football field.

In another act of untarnished altruism, Tebow invited a twenty-year-old fan suffering from a brain tumor to be his date to the College Football Awards. I don’t mean to place Tebow on too high a pedestal—I’ve seen too many sports stars rise to the top only to capitulate to the temptations that come with newfound fame—but it’s hard not to defend his character and accomplishments both on and off the field.

On his good days, Tim Tebow is an entertaining and dynamic player come game time. More importantly, his character makes him stand apart from many of professional sport’s renowned athletes. For Tebow, there’s no separating faith and football—something his critics should come to accept.