Santonio Holmes: Super Bowl XLIII MVP

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For two weeks of Super Bowl XLIII hype, Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes was overshadowed by Arizona Cardinals receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. But in the end, it was Santonio who had the best game. And the MVP award to go with it. Santonio made nine catches for 131 yards and one incredible touchdown. He made several huge grabs on the winning drive. I’ve seen some unbelievable receptions, but under the circumstances, his final catch was one of the most amazing I’ve ever seen. Completely outstretched at the farthest possible corner of the end zone, Santonio somehow not only made the catch, he also kept his feet in-bounds and held onto the ball to give the Steelers a 27-23 lead with :35 to play. As it turned out, it was all they would need. After the game Santonio said:

“I dared the team. Just give me the ball, give me the chance to make plays and I will do it for you ….. This is a wonderful blessing. I would like to thank the Lord for helping me overcome all the things I overcame, the coaches for sticking with me, the organization for being behind me and believing in me, and my quarterback for giving me this opportunity to make plays for him all season.”

I wasn’t sure what path Santonio was headed down in life. He’s been in and out of trouble. He was suspended by Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin for one game earlier this season. He even admitted this week to selling drugs as a youngster growing up in Florida. But it appears he has turned his life and football career around. And in one night, the whole world knows about it.

Source: NFL.com, Photo: Newscom