The 51st Super Bowl is one that might be impossible to forget.
Matt Ryan and the NFL’s best offense jumped out to a seemingly insurmountable 28-3 lead over the New England Patriots with 8:31 remaining in the third quarter. A deficit in which no Super Bowl team has ever overcome.
Don’t tell that to Tom Brady.
The now four-time Super Bowl MVP and five-time winning Super Bowl quarterback was given just enough time to work his famous late-game magic. Brady threw two touchdown passes in the second half and a two-point conversion completion that tied the game at 28 with :57 seconds left to ultimately send the game to overtime. The Patriots would win the coin toss in the sudden-death period, and Brady lead a game-winning touchdown drive (Final score: 34-28) just like he has done 49 other times in his career.
That overtime, by the way, was the first in Super Bowl history.
The sure-fire future Hall of Famer finished the game with 466 yards passing, a Super Bowl record, and two touchdowns.
Within the greatness that was Super Bowl 51 was a plethora of Mississippi connections:
- Patriots kicker Steven Gostkowski made two field goals in the game.
- Previous Super Bowl hero for the Patriots, Malcom Butler, had two tackles.
- Former East Mississippi star and current Patriot LaGarrette Blount rushed for 31 yards in the game.
- Former Ole Miss running back Brandon Bolden had one tackle on special teams for the Patriots.
- Matt Slater, son of Jackson State legend Jackie Slater, won his second Super Bowl as a Patriot
- Falcons cornerback Jalen Collins, who attendeed Olive Branch and Desoto Central High Schools, had 11 tackles in the loss
The NFL turns its sights to April’s NFL draft. News Mississippi will track all players with Mississippi ties during the event.
