TIM TEBOW DRAWS CROWD OF 26000 - U-T San Diego

Klair Martinez, 20, has John 3:16 temporarily tattooed on her hands at Qualcomm Sunday. Peggy Peattie • U-T

MISSION VALLEY â€" In an event that was part pop concert, part prayer meeting and part celebrity interview, New York Jet Tim Tebow appeared Sunday morning at a church-sponsored Father’s Day program at Qualcomm Stadium.

The 24-year-old quarterback spoke at length about his football career and his Christian faith, which has made him known outside NFL circles â€" especially for “Tebowing,” a signature move where he drops to one knee on the field in prayer.

Tebow’s 35-minute talk, delivered interview-style with the pastor of El Cajon’s Shadow Mountain Community Church, focused on role models, including his own father, and the issue of whether Christians can also be “real men.”

The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Florida said the professional sports world does a poor job of providing good examples.

“What’s so frustrating is, you have in today’s society so many famous athletes,” he said. “If we would come together and be great role models, it would be amazing to see how the next generation turns out.”

Tebow, who says “y’all” with a slight southern drawl, was dressed casually in a pink-striped shirt, tan slacks and loafers. He seemed at ease talking about what some view as a personal topic: religion.

Organizers estimated that about 26,000 people attended the free event on a warm, sunny day. The audience filled less than half of Qualcomm Stadium, which can seat up to 70,000 for football games.

The quarterback has drawn similar crowds at religious events earlier this year. An audience of 15,000 attended an outdoor Easter service in Texas. An appearance at a Las Vegas church in March drew 20,000.

Tebow sat on stage in an armchair for most of the Qualcomm program, smiling and singing along with religious and country music songs played by a 13-piece band. During his talk, he and Shadow Mountain pastor David Jeremiah were seated center stage on stools.

The football phenom is the son of Southern Baptists who did missionary work in the Philippines. The youngest of five children, he said he concentrated on his dad’s actions instead of his words.

“For me, it was about watching my dad. Because he could say whatever he wanted, but I watched him â€" how he acted, how he treated my mom, how he treated my four siblings,” he said.

Jeremiah asked Tebow about what he described as a popular perception that, “if you are a Christian and you are a man, you can’t really be a man.”

In response, Tebow â€" who said he found his faith as a young boy â€" said he was ultra competitive from an early age. He remembered being disappointed when a childhood sports coach told him that winning wasn’t everything.

Tebow told the men at Qualcomm that they need to “get in the game,” by being active Christians.

“I encourage you men to get in the game and finish strong, finish strong for your family, your wife and your sons and daughters,” he said.

Afterward, the quarterback hugged and shook hands with people who streamed down from the stands.