It’s the latest craze, you know.

Tebowing.

It’s the stance where Tim Tebow, former phenom quarterback for the Florida Gators who is now turning heads as the Denver Broncos starter, kneels on the sideline in a moment of brief prayer.

You may not be aware of this, but Tim Tebow is a born-again Christian who is not afraid to express his beliefs.

If you were not aware of this, you have evidently just wandered in from a year-long cricket marathon in England, or have been stuck as a contestant in the latest episode of TV’s “Survivor.”

Tebow has been praying during games for years, since his high school days. But now, with his recent NFL success in bringing the Broncos back from the dead and into the division lead, his action has become a trend or a fad.

“Tebow” is now a verb. To Tebow is, according to the new website Tebowing.com, “to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.”

This puts it into the same category as planking and owling, neither of which I have ever understood.

Tebowing, though, I understand — at least from its originator.

He’s thanking God for being able to do what he’s doing, which in part is turning around a franchise from going for the top pick in the next NFL Draft to going for the post-season. And he’s done it in amazing fashion, much like another Bronco did in years past by the name of Elway.

Denver fans should be Tebowing, too, thanking the Lord for sending Tebow their way, and for the fact that he has turned out to be anything but the bust he was predicted to be in the pros by the pundit class.

Many of those pundits have changed their tune, using every religious-themed adjective they can think of to describe Tebow. It’s rather comical at times, especially considering some of these ink-stained wretches haven’t seen the inside of a church in decades, if ever.

The sad thing is that many of Tebow’s fans and critics don’t really understand that this is not an act for him. This is not the Ickey Shuffle (remember Ickey Woods of the Cincinnati Bengals?) crossed with Billy Graham. It is a legitimate statement of his faith, and his only “act” is a hope that others will recognize the true source of his ability.

Which leads to the question: Does God play favorites in football, or any other sport?

Well, let’s see. Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose winning streak ended last weekend, is also an evangelical Christian, every bit as devout as Tebow but not as overt. In a radio interview last month, he stated his philosophy with a famous quote from St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” (I love that quote.)

On the other hand, there’s Tom Brady, who fathered a child out of wedlock with actress Bridget Moynahan. Still hugely successful on the field, though. Hoops legend Larry Bird has an out-of-wedlock child. And on the other extreme is Warren Cromartie, the former Montreal Expos slugger known for profanity-laced speeches who had nine children with eight different women, none of them his wife.

There are countless examples from one extreme to the other, plus many famous sports figures about whose faith, or lack thereof, we know little.

So why does it matter so much with Tebow?

Because he makes no bones about where he stands, and encourages others to follow. That makes a lot of people uncomfortable. And it should.

Realize this: Tebowing may be a fad to you.

But to him, it’s a way of life.