NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tim Tebow joined Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee at the state Capitol on Thursday to announce a multimillion-dollar partnership to fight human trafficking.
Tebow’s foundation is due for an infusion of $1.2 million in the upcoming Tennessee state budget. The annual spending plan, which tops $42 billion, is sending more than $5 million combined to Tebow’s organization and other groups to combat human trafficking.
The 2007 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback with the Florida Gators is expected to sign a one-year contract to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars as a tight end, a source confirmed to ESPN on Monday.
“I would say that today, that’s not the focus,” Tebow said of the speculation concerning his signing with the Jaguars. “Today is about every life that’s being trafficked in the state of Tennessee, around the country and around the world.”
The funding will help a ministry within the Tim Tebow Foundation, named Her Song, which seeks to build safe homes in the state alongside other funded organizations, Tebow said.
The rest of the funding goes to other groups that help survivors of human trafficking in the state.
“We hope that this will facilitate and engage and inspire churches, nonprofits, organizations, individuals, to find out how they can be involved in rescuing women and children in Tennessee,” Lee said.
Tebow said the discussions on the issue began less than three months ago when country music star Luke Bryan and his wife, Caroline, introduced him to the governor’s chief of staff, Blake Harris, at Bryan’s restaurant.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.