'GQ' cover appearance comes as 'shocker' to Jets' Tim Tebow

Tuesday we told you that Tim Tebow was on the cover of GQ's NFL preview issue.

Turns out you might have been aware of it before the New York Jets backup quarterback was.

PHOTOS:  Tim Tebow in pictures

"Honestly, I didn't even know," Tebow said Thursday. "It kind of was a shocker for me."

The magazine recycled some photos with religious overtones from the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner's days at the University of Florida.

"It was something that I think I did maybe six years ago in college," Tebow said. "Honestly, the first time I heard was when we were in the cafeteria (Tuesday), and it was on ESPN. That's when I found out, so it was kind of a shocker to me as well."

Tebow said he hasn't received any razzing from teammates yet about his shirtless poses but admitted, "I'm sure that'll come up sooner than later though."

As to whether he has any concerns about the dated photo shoot, which includes one picture of him seeming to pose as if he was on a crucifix?

"I have heard someone ask me about that," Tebow said. "Was I trying to do anything as far as the crucifix? Absolutely not. I mean, I don't know. It was six years ago, I don't even remember what I was doing. But I wasn't trying to do anything like that though."

Perhaps that comes as a relief to some in the religious community.

Gerald Zelizer, rabbi at Congregation Neve Shalom in Metuchen, N.J., is a Jets fan who wrote an opinion piece for The (Newark) Star-Ledger last Sunday in which he saluted Tebow for his "religious integrity" and concluded: "I reluctantly admire the pristine faith of a young man like Tebow, who prays as he plays and preaches as he practices."

But asked to respond how the Jesus-like portrayal shot of Tebow that was re-used by GQ might be resonating with the Jewish community in the New York City metropolitan area, Zelizer was not pleased.

"I regret seeing sincere and admirable faith become transformed into cartoon-like self parody," Zelizer emailed to USA TODAY Sports.