Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. (born, July 18, 1979, in
Albany, Georgia) is an American football wide
receiver who currently plays for the Seattle
Seahawks of the NFL. He is 5'9" and 193 pounds and
was picked by New England in the second round of the
2002 NFL Draft and out of the University of
Louisville. Branch was named the Most Valuable
Player of Super Bowl XXXIX on February 6, 2005,
after tying former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Jerry Rice and former Cincinnati Bengals tight end
Dan Ross for the Super Bowl reception record with 11
catches for 133 yards. He was the first receiver to
win the award since 1989.
In middle school, high school and college, Branch
was often told he was too short at just 5'9" to be
an NFL receiver, and due to this, he dropped from a
sure first-round pick to the second round. Deion was
selected with the final pick of the Second round of
the 2002 NFL Draft, after New England used its
first-round pick on tight end Daniel Graham. Branch
eventually became quarterback Tom Brady's go-to
receiver and helped lead the team to two straight
Super Bowls sparking an offense built primarily on
the passing game prior to 2005. In addition to his
11 catch, 133-yard performance in Super Bowl XXXIX,
he also caught 10 passes for 143 yards and a
touchdown in Super Bowl XXXVIII. His 21 receptions
in those 2 games is an NFL record for reception in
consecutive Super Bowls and the third highest total
of career Super Bowl receptions by a single player.
Only Jerry Rice and Andre Reed, who each played in 4
Super Bowls, recorded more.
Branch had an impressive 2005 season, catching 78
passes and falling only two yards shy of his first
1,000 yard season. In addition, he caught five
touchdown passes and became the true number one
receiver on the Patriots.
