“A Fighter Till the End”: Prayers Flood In as Tim Tebow Announces Passing of His Family Member

Former Heisman winner Tim Tebow’s sensational college career with the Florida Gators didn’t translate to success in the NFL after the Denver Broncos selected him in the first round of the 2010 draft. Before long, his NFL journey came to an end, bouncing around in practice squads of different teams. But the former QB has remained close to football, serving as an analyst with ESPN’s SEC Network for college games.

And off the field, the former quarterback has built a life rooted in faith and family. A devout Christian, Tebow met his wife, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, in 2018 at a South African event for one of his nonprofits, Night to Shine. They married in 2020.

Over the years, Tebow grew especially close to his father-in-law, Bennie Peters. Sadly, Bennie passed away on Thursday.

Taking to Instagram, Tebow penned a heartfelt tribute to his “Papa Bennie,” with a picture and a lengthy note. He recalled the joy Bennie brought in this world through his dad jokes, South African barbecues, and the deep love he had for both his family and his dogs.

“You were the best father-in-law. The braai-master. The dad-joke king. A dog lover. A champion of [Demi Tebow] and our family. A fighter till the end,” wrote Tebow, before reminiscing about his nights spent by the fire in South Africa with Bennie, and their travels together across the US.

The former QB also spoke fondly of Bennie’s playful pranks and the way he adored his daughter. Tebow added that he hopes to be the same kind of loving role model for his daughter, Daphne Reign Tebow.

“I agree with Demi, Heaven is in for a treat… The man with the best jokes has arrived. Lief vir jou papa Bennie,” Tebow concluded.

Fans flocked to the comment section with prayers, many standing by the grieving quarterback. “So sorry for your loss, Tim. Praying for you and your family during this time,” one wrote.

“So sorry, Tim and Demi. God bless your family during this time,” another fan penned.

“What a special man. I know you’ll miss him so much. Praying for you and @demitebow and sending so much love to all,” commented a fan.

Demi-Leigh Tebow was the one who shared his heartbreaking news on Instagram first. Bennie had been fighting a battle with pancreatic cancer for over two years, she revealed in the caption of her post.

And from the way both Demi-Leigh and Tebow wrote about him, it’s clear that Bennie never let the illness bring him down. He fought till the very end while being the ultimate dad of the family.

We, at The SportsRush, send our heartfelt tributes to Demi-Leigh’s family and Tebow.