Tom Brady, reunited with Rob Gronkowski, named Super Bowl LV MVP
Love him or hate him, Tom Brady, the 43-year-old quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was voted the winner of the Pete Rozelle Trophy and took home the coveted Super Bowl LV Most Valuable Player award following his team’s colossal, staggering and largely unexpected win last night against the Kansas City Chiefs with a final score of 31 to 9. Last night’s game saw Brady lead Tampa Bay to the team’s second Super Bowl championship win in franchise history.
This also marks the fifth time Brady has won the MVP award, having previously been voted the Most Valuable Player in Super Bowls LI, XLIX, XXXVIII and XXXVI. Brady is the only player in NFL history to win the award five times.
To date, Brady has won seven Super Bowls, the most by any player in NFL history; and he joins Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as the only starting quarterbacks to win Super Bowls with multiple franchises.
Brady played for the New England Patriots from 2001 through 2019. After spending his entire adult lifetime as the Pats’ quarterback, Brady, who recently made the move from New England to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after 20 seasons in New England, took to social media to say that he “wouldn’t change a thing.”
Tampa Bay signed Brady as a free agent quarterback to a multi-year contract back in March 2020.
Brady arrived in Florida after securing 249 overall victories, 14 Pro Bowl selections, six Super Bowl titles, four Super Bowl Most Valuable Player honors, three league MVP awards, three first team All-Pro selections and two Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year accolades.
In last night’s game, Brady completed 21 of 29 attempts (72.4 percent) for 201 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 125.8 passer rating. He also extended his Super Bowl records for the most career completions (277), passing yards (3,039) and passing touchdowns (21).
The Buccaneers became the first team ever to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium, and to become the first to win one on their own field.
Records set in Super Bowl LV: (per WTSP)
- Most Games – 10, Tom Brady
- Most Games, Winning Team – 7, Tom Brady
- Oldest Head Coach, Winning Team – 68, Bruce Arians
- Oldest Player, Game – 43, Tom Brady
- Most Pass Attempts, Career – 421, Tom Brady
- Most Passes Completed, Career – 277, Tom Brady
- Most Passing Yards, Career – 3039, Tom Brady
- Most Touchdown Passes, Career – 21, Tom Brady
- Most First Downs by Penalty, Team – 6, Tampa Bay
- Most First Downs by Penalty, Both Teams – 9, Tampa Bay (6) vs. Kansas City (3)
- Most Touchdowns, QB-Receiver Tandem, Career – 5, Tom Brady-Rob Gronkowski
One heart-warming side story to last night’s game was the enduring relationship between Brady and Tampa Bay’s tight end Rob Gronkowski, who in April 2020 – after he had already retired from the game – ended up following Brady from New England where he and Brady were teammates to Tampa Bay. Two of three of Brady’s touchdown passes last night, were into the waiting arms of his old pal Rob Gronkowski.
Gronkowski spent all nine of his NFL seasons (2010-2018) in New England, winning three Super Bowls with the Patriots during that time, while earning five Pro Bowl selections. Over his 115 regular season games, including 100 starts, Gronkowski has hauled in 521 receptions for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns. His receiving touchdowns total is tied for the third-most by a tight end in NFL history, trailing only Antonio Gates (116) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (111).
But one month after Brady left New England for the Sunshine State, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the acquisition of four-time All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Brady and Gronkowski had a special connection in New England, especially in the playoffs. After the two touchdowns in Super Bowl LV, the pair has now recorded 14 touchdown scores, the most between a quarterback and receiver in NFL history. ~ Sports Illustrated
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
