# Tebowing > Tebowing is a 2011 photo fad where people kneel with one elbow resting on their raised knee and fist pressed to forehead, mimicking NFL quarterback Tim Tebow's signature prayer pose. Tebowing is a photo fad from late 2011 where people drop to one knee, place an elbow on the raised knee, and press a fist to their forehead, mimicking NFL quarterback Tim Tebow's signature prayer pose. Created by Denver native Jared Kleinstein after Tebow's dramatic comeback win over the Miami Dolphins on October 23, 2011, the trend exploded within days, drawing comparisons to planking and briefly becoming one of the most recognizable internet gestures of its time. Time magazine ranked it the fifth-biggest meme of 2011[12]. ## Origin Tim Tebow, the devout Christian quarterback known for publicly praying before and after games, was photographed in his signature kneeling pose as early as December 2010[4]. But the meme-worthy moment came on October 23, 2011, when Tebow led the Denver Broncos back from a 15-point deficit in the final five minutes to beat the Miami Dolphins 18-15 in overtime[10]. After the win, Tebow dropped to one knee in prayer amid the post-game chaos. That same Sunday night, 24-year-old Jared Kleinstein and a group of Denver-raised friends living in New York City photographed themselves in the same pose outside the Sidebar bar[2]. Kleinstein posted the picture to Facebook, where it picked up an unexpected number of likes and comments[1]. The next day, he purchased the domain Tebowing.com and launched a Tumblr blog dedicated to the pose[4]. The first non-friend submission came from someone at Occupy Chicago[1]. - **Platform:** Facebook (first photo), Tumblr / Tebowing.com (viral spread) - **Creator:** Jared Kleinstein (creator / original poster), Tim Tebow (namesake / subject) - **Date:** 2011 ## Overview Tebowing involves getting down on one knee, resting one elbow on the raised knee, and pressing a clenched fist against the forehead[4]. The pose mimics a prayer stance, loosely resembling Rodin's *The Thinker*[4], and the whole point was to strike the pose in random, incongruous settings. Office cubicles, grocery stores, the Colosseum in Rome, underwater. The more out of place, the better. The official definition from Tebowing.com put it simply: "to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different"[1]. Creator Jared Kleinstein was careful to frame Tebowing as non-denominational, insisting it carried "no necessary affiliation with any religion or movement other than [Tebow] himself"[2]. ## How It Spread Within 48 hours of the site's October 25 launch, Tebowing.com racked up over 175,000 visitors[4]. By October 27, the fad was covered by Yahoo Sports, HuffPost, NFL.com, Bleacher Report, and the New York Daily News[4]. That same day, Tebowing trended on Twitter in the United States[4]. Tebow himself endorsed the trend on October 27, tweeting: "#Tebowing - to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different. Love it!"[2] He also retweeted his favorite Tebowing photos, including one from a child undergoing chemotherapy who wrote, "I'm Tebowing while I'm chemoing"[2]. Teammate Von Miller posted his own Tebowing photo from the Broncos locker room[2]. Photos poured in from the World Series stands, the set of *The Biggest Loser*, Major League Soccer goal celebrations, and locations around the world[2]. The Wall Street Journal ran a feature headlined "The Godfather of Tebowing Tells All"[7], and Kleinstein told the paper that Tebowing was "safer than planking" since there hadn't been any known injuries[5]. The trend jumped from the internet back onto the football field on October 30, when Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch sacked Tebow and then Tebowed over him[3]. ESPN commentators Tony Kornheiser and Jemele Hill debated whether Tulloch had gone too far, with some seeing it as mockery of Tebow's faith[1]. Kleinstein defended Tulloch, arguing that since they never attached a religious label to Tebowing, the gesture was fair game[1]. ## How to Use Tebowing is straightforward: 1. Drop to one knee (either one works) 2. Rest your elbow on the raised knee 3. Press your clenched fist against your forehead, head bowed slightly 4. Hold the pose while someone takes a photo ## Cultural Impact Tebowing crossed over from internet novelty to mainstream cultural moment within its first week. CNN covered the trend within 48 hours of the site launching, and every major sports network followed[1]. The Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, IBTimes, and Bleacher Report all ran features on the fad by October 27, 2011[7][5]. The trend tapped into the broader "Tebow mania" gripping the NFL, where debates about the quarterback's faith and football ability dominated sports media. Kleinstein drew a comparison to the Denver Broncos' iconic Mile-High Salute celebration, noting that while both gestures gave fans a way to unite, "Tebowing allows a non sports fan to identify with a cause"[1]. The trademark battle added another layer. Tebow's decision to legally claim "Tebowing" was unusual for athlete-meme interactions, and his stated intention to direct any proceeds to charity through the Tim Tebow Foundation softened potential criticism[12]. ## Fun Facts - The first Tebowing photo submitted by a stranger (not one of Kleinstein's friends) came from Occupy Chicago[1]. - Tebow's favorite submitted photo was from a child undergoing chemotherapy who captioned it "I'm Tebowing while I'm chemoing"[2]. - Kleinstein said the best place to Tebow in the world (other than next to Tebow himself) would be "in Antarctica, with a polar bear"[5]. - Kleinstein said he wanted to see Moses Tebowing, "because then it would've been added into the bible, meaning it probably would be published in Websters dictionary rather than just Urban Dictionary"[1]. - Tebow's January 2012 playoff touchdown pass generated 9,420 tweets per second, beating Beyoncé's pregnancy announcement for the record of most tweets per second during a single event[9]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Tebowing? Tebowing is a photo fad where a person drops to one knee, rests an elbow on the raised knee, and presses a clenched fist to their forehead, imitating NFL quarterback Tim Tebow's prayer pose. The trend involved striking this pose in unexpected or humorous locations and sharing the photos online[4]. ### Where did Tebowing come from? Jared Kleinstein, a Denver native living in New York City, photographed himself and friends mimicking Tebow's kneeling prayer pose outside a Broncos bar on October 23, 2011, after the Broncos' dramatic comeback win over the Miami Dolphins. He launched Tebowing.com the next day[2]. ### What does Tebowing mean? The official definition from Tebowing.com is "to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different." While the pose originates from Tebow's genuine prayer habit, the meme version was framed as non-religious[1]. ### How do you use Tebowing? Drop to one knee, rest your elbow on the raised knee, press your fist to your forehead, and have someone photograph you. The comedy comes from doing it in absurd or incongruous locations like grocery stores, airports, or underwater[5]. ### Is Tebowing still popular? Tebowing peaked in late 2011 and early 2012. Time magazine ranked it the fifth-biggest meme of 2011[12]. The trend is now a well-known artifact of early-2010s internet culture, though the pose itself is rarely replicated today. ### Who created Tebowing? Jared Kleinstein, a 24-year-old Denver native and StreetEasy.com employee, coined the term and launched Tebowing.com on October 25, 2011, after photographing himself and friends in the pose outside a New York City bar called the Sidebar[1][2]. ### Did Tim Tebow approve of Tebowing? Yes. Tebow publicly endorsed the trend on Twitter on October 27, 2011, writing "#Tebowing - to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different. Love it!"[2] ### Why did Tim Tebow trademark Tebowing? Tebow was awarded the trademark on October 9, 2012, after two fans had tried to claim it. He said he wanted "to control how it's used, make sure it's used in the right way" and stated any money would go to the Tim Tebow Foundation[12][8]. ### What was the Stephen Tulloch Tebowing controversy? On October 30, 2011, Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch Tebowed over Tebow after sacking him. ESPN commentators debated whether it was disrespectful, but Kleinstein defended it, saying Tebowing had no official religious affiliation[3][1]. ### How fast did Tebowing go viral? Within 48 hours of Tebowing.com launching on October 25, 2011, the site had over 175,000 visitors. Within a week, it was covered by every major sports outlet and trending on Twitter[4][5]. ### Was Tebowing in South Park? Yes. The South Park episode "Faith Hilling" (March 28, 2012) used Tebowing as part of a satirical plot about dangerous photo fad trends[13]. ### How did Tebowing compare to planking? Tebowing was widely described as "the new planking" in late 2011. Kleinstein noted that Tebowing was "safer than planking" since no injuries had been reported[5][7]. ## References 1. [ESPN Tebow Article Spawns Fill-in-the-Blank Meme and #OccupyTebow | Mashable]() 2. [Meme Machine: 5 Hilarious Viral Topics Trending Right Now | Mashable]() 3. [Tebowing 101: Everything You Need To Know Behind Tim Tebow Phenomenon (VIDEO, PHOTOS) | HuffPost Sports]() 4. [Tebowing - Know Your Meme]() 5. [Faith Hilling]() 6. [Tebowing - Urban Dictionary]() 7. [The Thinker]() 8. [Tebowing | Walk Memory Lane]() 9. [Why did Tim Tebow trademark 'Tebowing'?]() 10. [Tim Tebow pose becomes internet meme known as Tebowing - Page 2 - ESPN]() 11. [What is Tebowing? The Latest Internet Meme [PHOTOS] | IBTimes]() 12. [‘Tebowing’: Football Meme Goes from the Field to the Internet, and Back | TIME.com]() 13. [Thinker Pose - TV Tropes]() 14. [USA TODAY - Breaking News and Latest News Today]() 15. [Tim Tebow leads late comeback, Broncos beat Dolphins 18-15 in OT – The Denver Post]() 16. [The Godfather of Tebowing Tells All - WSJ]() 17. [Tim Tebow Sparks Awesome 'Tebowing' Craze You Must Include in Your Daily Routine]() 18. [Tim Tebow touchdown pass breaks Twitter record – The Mercury News]() 19. [ESPN Tebow Article Spawns Fill-in-the-Blank Meme and #OccupyTebow | Mashable]() 20. [Tebowing Takes On Planking In Bid For Hottest Internet Meme Stardom | HuffPost Denver]() 21. [Meme Machine: 5 Hilarious Viral Topics Trending Right Now | Mashable]() 22. [NFL Latest Updates - Yahoo Sports]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/tebowing Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library