Most Valuable Player Joe Flacco, Gino Gradkowski Lead Ravens to 34-31 Victory in Super Bowl XLVII
February 3, 2013
Photos Courtesy of USA Today Sports Photos
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NEW ORLEANS -- Former University of Delaware standouts Joe Flacco (at right) and Gino Gradkowski are Super Bowl champions!
Flacco was named the Super Bowl XLVII Most Valuable Player and Gradkowski made a key block on big kickoff return for a touchdown by Jacoby Jones to open the second half as the Baltimore Ravens held off the San Francisco 49ers for a 34-31 victory at the Superdome.
The Ravens won their second Super Bowl title in franchise history and first since capturing the title in the 2001 game.
Flacco completed 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards and threw three touchdowns in the opening half as the Ravens built a 28-6 lead early in the third quarter and held off a frantic comeback. He connected with Anquan Boldin on a 13-yard scoring strike to open the scoring and then added scoring passes of one-yard to Dennis Pitta and 56 yards to Jacoby Jones in the second quarter.
Flacco capped an outstanding playoff run as he tied an NFL record held by Joe Montana and Kurt Warner with 11 touchdowns passes in the post-season. Flacco did not throw an interception in the post-season.
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"This is unbelievable," Flacco told CBS announcer Jim Nantz on the national broadcast. "We don't make it easy, but that's the way it is for us. We did this for the fans back home. We can't wait to get back to Baltimore for the parade."
Flacco and Gradkowski become the first former University of Delaware players to earn Super Bowl rings as active players.
They were the fourth and fifth former Blue Hens to see action in the Super Bowl, joining Ivory Sully who played special teams for the Los Angeles Rams vs. Pittsburgh in 1980, former NFL Most Valuable Player Rich Gannon, who started at quarterback for the Oakland Raiders vs. Tampa Bay in 2003 and threw two touchdown passes, and tight end Ben Patrick, who caught a touchdown pass for the Arizona Cardinals in 2009 vs. Pittsburgh.
Delaware, one of only 10 schools in the nation to have two quarterbacks start in a Super Bowl, now become one of the few schools to produce an NFL Most Valuable Player (Gannon), a Super Bowl MVP (Flacco), and a NFL Pro Bowl MVP (Gannon).
