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Home , Bobby Wagner, Bruce Irvin, Cliff Avril, Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Percy Harvin

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 201415 17 What did the World Cup do for you, Bafana? Page 18

EAST RUTHERFORD: Seahawks’ (3) looks to pass under pressure from Danny Trevathan (59) during the first half of the NFL XLVIII football game. — AP Seahawks crush Broncos to win Super Bowl

EAST RUTHERFORD: The Seattle sensational 87-yard kickoff runback to Carroll, who was fired in 1994 by the Manning as won the cham- Seahawks’ mantra all season was to open the second half. Jets, led the Patriots for three seasons pionship. This one was a fiasco through- make each day a championship day. Smith was the game’s MVP, the first and again was canned. After a short stint out. Steven Hauschka, who missed only They made Super Bowl Sunday the best defender in 11 years to win the award. out of coaching, he took over at 2 of 40 field goals entering the game, day of all with one of the greatest per- When the Seahawks, up by 29 points, Southern and won two nation- made a 31-yarder for 5-0 and a 33-yarder formances in an NFL title game - sparked forced a Denver punt early in the third al titles. for 8-0 after toasted 15- by a defense that ranks among the best quarter, the - and there were But he always felt there was unfin- year veteran cornerback Champ Bailey, ever. legions of them in MetLife Stadium - ished business in the NFL. Carroll fin- in his first Super Bowl, for 37 yards on The Seahawks won their first Super began chanting “L-O-B, L-O-B.” ished that business by lifting the Vince third down. Bowl crown in overpowering fashion, As in Legion of Boom, the Seahawks Lombardi Trophy, four years after taking Then the Seahawks began scoring punishing and the hard-hitting defensive secondary line, charge in Seattle and eight years after . Manning’s third-down pass Denver Broncos 43-8. That masterful part of young team with an average age the Seahawks lost in their only previous to Julius Thomas sailed way too high and defense, the NFL’s stingiest, never let the of 26 years, 138 days. Super Bowl to Pittsburgh. directly to safety , giving five-time Most Valuable Player get “This is an amazing team. Took us No Super Bowl had been played out- the Seahawks the ball at Denver’s 37. going, disarming the highest-scoring four years to get to this point but they doors in a cold-weather city before - not Harvin, finally healthy after a virtually offense in league history. never have taken a step sideways,” coach that the Big Apple was anything close to wasted first season in Seattle, sparked “The only way we could say we were said. “These guys would not frozen Sunday, with a 49-degree temper- the short drive with a 15-yard burst, and the best defense was to take down the take anything but winning this ball- ature at kickoff. a third-down pass interference call on best offense,” linebacker game.” Things went sour for Manning and Tony Carter gave Seattle the ball at the 1. said. The loss by the Broncos again raised the Broncos from the very first scrim- scored to make it Seattle (16-3) was too quick, too questions about Manning’s ability to win mage play, and by halftime they were 15-0. Then Smith, with a play emblemat- physical and just too good for Denver, the biggest games. He is 11-12 in the down 22-0 - their biggest deficit of the ic of the best defense the NFL has seen and that was true in all areas. What was postseason, 1-2 in Super Bowls. After the EAST RUTHERFORD: The Lombardi Trophy is raised during celebrations season and the only time they didn’t in years, made his second huge play in hyped as a classic matchup between an game, he brushed off questions about after the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game. —AP score in a half. two weeks. unstoppable offense and a miserly his legacy. Sherman to a high ankle sprain in the had become one of the most lopsided On that first play for the Broncos, got to Manning’s arm as he defense turned into a rout. “Certainly to finish this way is very fourth quarter. He celebrated on crutch- Super Bowls. For the fifth time in six Manning stepped up toward the line just was throwing, the ball fluttered directly “We been relentless all season,” quar- disappointing,” he said. He never looked es. meetings between the NFL’s No. 1 as center Manny Ramirez snapped the to Smith, who took off down the left terback Russell Wilson said. “Having that comfortable against a defense some will “I hope we etched out names in the offense and defense, the D dominated. ball. It flew past his incredulous quarter- sideline for a 69-yard TD. mentality of having a championship day begin comparing to the 1985 Bears and history books,” Sherman said. Wilson, “It’s all about making history,” All-Pro back into the end zone, where Manning trudged to the sideline, a every day. At the end of the day, you 2000 Ravens - other NFL champions who who has an NFL-record 28 wins in his safety said. “This was a dom- dived on it for a safe- look of disgust on his face. want to play your best football and that had runaway Super Bowl victories. first two pro seasons, including playoffs, inant performance from top to bottom.” ty. A mere 12 seconds in, Seattle led 2-0 That look didn’t improve when, after is what we did today.” Seattle forced four turnovers; Denver had a 23-yard TD pass to Jermaine Denver fell to 2-5 in Super Bowls, and with the quickest score in Super Bowl a drive to the Seattle 19, his fourth-down Punctuating Seattle’s dominance had 26 all season. Kearse late in the third quarter to make it by the end many of Manning’s passes history, beating ’s ’s pass was tipped by Chris Clemons and were a 69-yard interception return The Seahawks looked comfortable 36-0. resembled the “ducks” Sherman said the kickoff return to open the 2007 game - fell harmlessly to the Meadowlands turf. by linebacker Malcolm and at ease, and not just their defense, Wilson also hit Doug Baldwin for a All-Pro sometimes threw. against Manning’s Colts. So did Denver’s reputation as an unstop- Smith to make it 22-0, and ’s which lost All-Pro cornerback Richard 10-yard score in the final period in what The victory was particularly sweet for That one ended much better for pable force. — AP Smith earns MVP honors Quotes from Super Bowl EAST RUTHERFORD: A selection of quotes from team, everything - from the special teams to the NEW YORK: Three words raced through line- around, he wasn’t taken until the seventh round, the 242nd Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos offense to the defense, I feel like everybody was click- backer Malcolm Smith’s mind as he streaked toward the end player chosen. and Seattle Seahawks: ing. We peaked at the right time.” zone in the Super Bowl, returning his interception of a pass by Seems to fit right in with the Seahawks, more than a third of lll Peyton Manning: “Don’t get caught.” whom weren’t even drafted at all. “He didn’t like it, but he had Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith, the game’s Most lll That, Smith explained yesterday at a news conference, to go in the seventh round. He’s proven otherwise, just like a lot Valuable Player: “I always imagined myself making Denver quarterback Peyton Manning: “I think we would be the “typical thoughts a defensive player (would have) of other guys in our program,” Carroll said. great plays but I never thought about being the MVP. played a great football team. We needed to play really with the ball.” And he heeded his own advice, going 69 yards for “I think it was extraordinary last night to see I was just happy to be on the field.” well in order to win and we didn’t come anywhere a touchdown on that play. He added a recovery later score a touchdown, and Doug Baldwin score a touchdown, and and earned MVP honors as Seattle beat Manning’s Denver Malcolm gets in the end zone and scoops up another fumble,” lll close to that.” Broncos 43-8 for the Seahawks’ first NFL championship. he continued. “Guys that are not the heralded guys coming in Seattle coach Pete Carroll: “This is an amazing lll At no moment during Sunday’s action did Smith think he competed in our program and found a way to contribute in team. These guys started a long time ago - it took four would take home the award. His teammates did. “Even during enormous ways.” years to get to this point. They’ve never taken a step Denver coach John Fox: “At the end of an NFL sea- the game,” Smith recalled, “guys were like, ‘You might be MVP.’ By way of explaining in a euphoric locker room Sunday sideways or backwards from going forward to make son, there is one happy camper and that’s the Seattle And I was like, ‘No way. No way. Not me.’ But to be here, it’s just night why he was an appropriate choice for an MVP from these this team the way it is now.” Seahawks tonight.” pretty cool.” Seahawks, Smith said: “I’m just fortunate to be a part of it, fortu- Smith is not one of those players who long ago seemed des- nate to get opportunities. I’m happy to be amongst a bunch of lll lll tined to wind up getting the keys to a new vehicle the day after guys that play with attitudes and chips on their shoulders. I’m Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman: “I think (the Denver defensive tackle, Terrance Knighton: “Their the Super Bowl, a sponsor’s prize for the big game’s best player. happy to represent that.” Coming out of college at Southern California - where he was He went on: “You might have been overlooked. You might world) learned how complete of a team we are, (and) defense made plays, ours didn’t. They created coached by the Seahawks’ current boss, Pete Carroll - Smith feel like you can make plays and never got the opportunity.” how complete our defense is. It’s not just the Legion turnovers, they scored on defense, they dominated wasn’t invited to the NFL combine, where top prospects are Truth is, the Seahawks were the lucky ones. Because even of Boom back there.” special teams, and we got down too early and we measured and evaluated. Then, when the 2011 draft rolled though Smith was not supposed to be a starter this season, a couldn’t do anything to get back in the game.” lll player with zero in his first two years in the league, he always was ready when called upon. Seattle defensive end : “A bunch of lll Pegged mainly as a special teams guy, Smith earned notice nobodies. Inexperienced. Ain’t never been there. You Denver vice president of football operations John see what misfits get you. You see what overachievers with his speed and ability to handle both outside linebacker Elway: “It’s one of those nights. I give them credit on get you.” slots. the defensive side, but we just can’t make the mis- When was suspended for four games in May for takes that we made, especially against a good foot- violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing sub- lll stances, it was Smith who filled in as a starter. Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson: “At the begin- ball team.” When Bobby Wagner was sidelined, and KJ Wright slid over ning of the season I told our guys, ‘Hey, why not us?’ to middle linebacker, Smith got another opportunity to start. We had the talent. We had the coaching.” lll And when Wright broke his right foot late in the season, guess Denver Wes Welker - “It hurts no mat- who Seattle called upon: Yep, Smith, of course. Then suddenly, lll ter what. It’s never easy. It’s a cruel game sometimes, on Sunday, there he was at the Super Bowl, in the right place Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner: “I think as a you just have to roll with it.” —Reuters and right time, as usual. — AP