Phil Sandlin / AP

From TMZ.com to maximum-security prisons where he preaches to the buckle of the Bible Belt, Tim Tebow has achieved something rare for a college athlete — he has crossed over into popular culture.

Tebow took part in a week of charity activities, which he called “one of the funnest weeks I had in my entire life.” It included a tip to Disney World for underprivileged kids from the Gainesville Boys & Girls Club and a 24-team Powder Puff tournament. (Tebow was supposed to be unbiased but acknowledged rooting for the Filipino Student Association’s team. “The girl they had at quarterback was a stud,” he said.)

And Tebow is as hands-on with his charity work as he is in the huddle. Ryan Moseley, the former student body president who helped Tebow organize the event, said Tebow called a meeting the day after the event finished two years ago.

“We had been scrambling for 30 days,” Moseley said. “And he’s like, We have to start thinking about next year.”

Moseley said Tebow was so involved that he spent 10 straight hours one night in a video editing suite at Florida’s journalism school. He was making sure that a 90-second video to be shown at a charity dinner detailing the plight of Filipino children was just right. He and Moseley did not leave until around 2 a.m.

“He’s probably waking up in probably three hours,” Moseley said. “And he’s doing all of this for a 90-second video. That’s just something that stays with you. That’s where his focus is. He wants people to understand and be moved.”

Like any movement, it has established strong roots close to home. Everyone from Meyer, who took a missionary trip with his family to the Dominican Republic, to Tebow’s teammates, who have logged more community-service hours than previous Gator teams, have been swayed by Tebow’s charity work. Meyer also initiated a program in which Gators players mentor at-risk boys in local middle schools.

“I don’t want to say Tim’s responsible, but he’s made it so you’re not a nerd to help people,” Meyer said. “Here’s the meanest and toughest quarterback who has ever played. And by the way, he also does great things for people.”

This article, "Florida's Star Yearns to Make a Difference," first appeared in The New York Times.