ESPN star Paul Finebaum recalls leaning on Tim Tebow following Charlie Kirk's assassination

ESPN star Paul Finebaum talks to OutKick's Clay Travis about his feelings after Charlie Kirk was assassinated.

ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum opened up about how the Charlie Kirk assassination affected him personally and that he leaned on Tim Tebow for some support.

Finebaum spoke to OutKick founder Clay Travis and revealed that Kirk’s killing jarred him a bit even though he had never met the 31-year-old conservative influencer in his life. 

On Sept. 10, Finebaum said he was "numb" while doing his radio show after learning about Kirk’s death.

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Charlie Kirk speaks at Utah Valley University Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)

"I spent four hours numb talking about things that didn’t matter to me. It kept building throughout that week and I didn’t know Charlie Kirk. I never met him," he said.

Finebaum said he was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, preparing for an ESPN show when he pulled Tebow over to the side to chat with him about Kirk.

He said the former Florida Gators star asked if he was OK.

"It’s hard to describe, not being involved in politics, how that affected me and affected tens of millions of people all over this country," Finebaum said. "And it was an awakening,and I went out and did the show that morning, but it still nagged at me and I couldn’t get through it.

Paul Finebaum and Tim Tebow take a selfie on the set of SEC Nation before a game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Arkansas Razorbacks  Oct. 8, 2022, at Wade Davis Stadium in Starkville, Miss. (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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"Tebow was soothing