Tim Tebow Rails Against Paying College Athletes, Rips 'Selfish Culture'

Someone check Tim Tebow's blood pressure ... the ex-Florida star just went NUCLEAR trashing the new California law allowing college athletes to get paid -- saying it'll ruin NCAA sports forever!!!

"I feel like I have a little credibility and knowledge about this because when I was at the University of Florida, I think my jersey was one of the top-selling jerseys around the world.," Tim said.

"It was like Kobe, LeBron and then I was right behind them. I didn't make a dollar from it and nor did I want to because I knew going into college what it was all about."

There's more ... Tebow is FIRED UP -- but first, a quick review of the new CA law.

It's being called the "Fair Pay to Play Act" and it was passed by the CA State Senate this week, allowing college athletes to be paid for the use of their name, likeness and image without being punished.

California Governor Gavin Newsom now has 30 days to decide whether it will be signed into law -- but the NCAA is fighting like hell to get him to shut it down.

Enter Tebow ... who's taking the side of the NCAA -- going on ESPN's "First Take" to declare war on the 'FPPA.'

Tebow says college should be more about following your dreams and contributing to an institution than trying to make a buck.

"I knew going to Florida, my dream school, where I wanted to go, the passion for it and if I could support my team, support my college, support my University, that's what it's all about."

"But now, we're changing it from 'Us' from 'We' from 'My University' from being an alumni where I care, which makes college football and college sports special, to then 'Okay it's not about us. It's not about we, it's just about me.'"

"And, yes, I know we live in a selfish culture where it's all about us but we're just adding and piling it onto that. Where it changes, what's special about college football. We turn it into the NFL, where who has the most money, that's where you go."

Tebow added ... "That's why people are more passionate about college sports than they are about the NFL."

"That's why the stadiums are bigger in college than they are in the NFL, because it's about your team, it's about your university, it's about where my family wanted to go, it's about where my grandfather had a dream of seeing Florida win an SEC championship and you're taking that away."

"And, you're taking that away so that young kids can earn a dollar and that's just not where I feel college football needs to go."

The issue with Tebow's point ... obviously ... is that to a lot of players, earning a dollar is more important than contributing to the legacy of an already rich University.

Tebow -- who came from an already financially stable family -- went on to earn millions of dollars in the NFL and other endeavors.

A huge amount of NCAA athletes don't have that financial stability or promises of fortunes waiting for them after college.