Tom Brady accepts Super Bowl MVP trophy from Roger Goodell

HOUSTON -- Tom Brady and Roger Goodell posed together with the Super Bowl MVP trophy to cap yet another comeback for the New England Patriots quarterback Monday at the George Brown Convention Center.

"I think James White deserves it, would have been pretty nice for him," Brady said of the unsung third-down back who had a Super Bowl-record 14 receptions and scored three touchdowns. "He's just the best teammate. I'm so proud of him and everything he's accomplished. That particular role in our offense, in the Kevin Faulk mold, Danny Woodhead mold, Shane Vereen mold, what he and Dion Lewis have done has been incredible."

With coach Bill Belichick looking on from the side of the podium, Brady recapped ending his 17th season with a seventh Super Bowl appearance and his fifth ring, most by any quarterback in NFL history.

"This season and the way things ended last night was a very special one for me," Belichick said. "One of the great coaches in this game I had an opportunity to work for, coach (Bill) Parcells, said the mark of a great champion is the ability to get up off the mat. That's what we did last night."

Incredible might describe the feeling on both sides after Sunday's game, with the Falcons building a 21-0 lead and pushing the lead to 25 early in the second half.

Brady said he had a late night but after getting back to his hotel room "pretty late" he watched the highlights to relive everything that the Patriots needed to go right in the most epic rally in Super Bowl history.

"It took a miraculous effort," Brady said.

Brady said he watched parts of the 25-point comeback in disbelief.

"The highs and the lows, being there are halftime we weren't feeling great about how we played," Brady said. "You're pretty spent after the game. The lows of not playing great, then the highs of playing better and then at the end, it's just a night I'll never forget. It's a great win for our team. I'm just happy this team will be able to be mentioned with some of those other great teams."

Brady completed 43 of 62 passes for 466 yards and two touchdowns as he rebounded from his first Super Bowl pick-six -- an 82-yarder by Robert Alford -- and a 28-3 deficit in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter and overtime, Brady was 21 of 27.

When Brady arrived for the MVP press conference 18 minutes after it was scheduled to start, he was presented a silver football, the trophy for the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, by Goodell for the fourth time in his career.

"It's an honor to be here and to have the commissioner give me this award," Brady said.

Brady became the first five-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback in a game he dedicated to his mom.

"It was great, she's been through a lot, way more than I went through last night. My dad has been there every step of the way. I was just happy last night to be able to celebrate with her. She hasn't been to a game all year, what a great game for her to get to."

Belichick followed Brady at the podium and posed with the Lombardi Trophy -- his fifth, an all-time NFL record -- and Goodell.

"He's been a great teammate, a great worker and given us every ounce of blood, sweat and tears he's had," Belichick said of Brady. "He's been like that every day, every week every practice in August or January. Every day he steps on the field."

Belichick said he plans to continue doing the best he can, live in the moment and "for right now and until a few hours ago, I put all my focus on this team. We'll worry about next year next year."

Goodell hailed the Houston Super Bowl as a success.

"We had an extraordinary week in Houston capped by one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time," Goodell said. "It's a great honor for us, for me personally, to have both of these guys this morning. Tom, come on up and get your trophy."