January 10, 2012
Not only did Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow lead his team to a stunning victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in the NFL AFC wildcard playoff game, but his performance led to an explosion of Google searches for John 3:16 when the facts and figures emerged, TIME reports. Tebow threw for exactly 316 yards -- averaging 31.6 yards per completion -- and fans soon began pointing out the allusion to John 3:16, which Tebow famously painted in his eye black in 2009 when he led the Florida Gators to victory in the college national championship game. By Monday morning, John 3:16 was ranked as the top-searched item on Google, followed by "Tebow" and "Tim Tebow." Coincidence or not, Tebow's passing yards had millions of people discovering the verse where Jesus says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life."