Watch: Tim Tebow Hits Two-Run Homer In First Minor League At-Bat With Columbia Fireflies

Tim Tebow’s minor-league baseball career began on a strong note on Thursday, as the former NFL quarterback hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat with the Class A Columbia Fireflies in South Carolina.

Tim Tebow Homers In First Minor League At-Bat

The former (2007) Heisman Trophy winner smacked a 2-1 pitch from Augusta GreenJackets lefty Domenic Mazza off and over the fence in left-center field for the home run, which caused the crowd at Spirit Communications Park to go wild with excitement.

Gabe Lacques of USATODAY sports shared the moment:

The hit came in the bottom of the second inning of Tebow’s debut with the New York Mets’ low-A affiliate, and came after a spring training performance during which he struggled in exhibition games against major league clubs, recording just four hits in 27 at-bats (a .148 average).

Tebow initially stopped for a moment at second base because he believed he had hit a ground-rule double: the ball bounced back onto the field.  However, an umpire motioned that it was actually a home run. The 29-year-old joyfully hopped, clapped his hands and pumped his arms before running around all the bases.

The former New York Jets quarterback seemed to be in complete disbelief about his big hit.

“I thought I had a double, and the guy goes, ‘Keep going,'” Tebow said. “I was, ‘All right, I’ll take it.’ It felt good, though.”

“All of my sports experiences helped me for moments like that,” Tebow said after the Fireflies’ 14-7 victory over the Augusta GreenJackets. “Playing in The Swamp or Death Valley or in Mile High Stadium in the playoffs, they all helped.

“So much about sports is handling moments and handling pressure.”

Tebow first announced that he would be pursuing a baseball career back in August after his NFL career stalled. He was assigned to the fireflies at the end of spring training.

The former NFL star said, unsurprisingly, that he never imagined his first at-bat would result in a home run.

“The big games in football have helped me for that moment, being my first at-bat in a real pro baseball game,” Tebow said. “But I tried to make the most of it.”

PEORIA, AZ – OCTOBER 13: Tim Tebow #15 (New York Mets) of the Scottsdale Scorpions warms up on deck during the Arizona Fall League game against the Peoria Javelinas at Peoria Stadium on October 13, 2016 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)