For all the superstars in Super Bowl XLIX, television commentators and the Twittersphere kept talking about a group of undrafted free agents who changed the course of the game. A couple of them entered virtually unknown but emerged as heroes.
Danny Amendola, undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2008, caught five passes for 48 yards and one touchdown. That score, a 4-yard catch with 7:55 remaining in the fourth quarter, brought the Patriots to 24-21.
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While Amendola is an established player, the same can't be said for Patriots rookie cornerback Malcom Butler. Butler, who attended Division II West Alabama, intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass at the goal line in the closing seconds to seal the Patriots’ 28-24 comeback victory.
It was Butler's first interception since November 2013, when he picked off a pass for West Alabama in a game against Central State … before a crowd of 2,843. He signed as a free agent with the Patriots last May.
“I just had a vision that I was going to make a big play, and it came true. I’m just blessed,” Butler told NBC's Michele Tafoya after the game.
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On the other sideline, Seahawks wide receiver Chris Matthews, undrafted out of Kentucky in 2011, almost singlehandedly resurrected the listless Seahawks offense in the first half. His first career catch, a leaping 44-yard reception with five minutes left in the first half, set up Seattle’s first score. He added an 11-yard TD reception to tie the game seconds before halftime.
Matthews’ final stat line (four catches, 109 yards and that touchdown) is all the more remarkable considering he played only three regular-season games. He signed with the Seahawks as a free agent in February, after reportedly working in a Foot Locker store.
Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett, undrafted coming out of Texas A&M in 2009, proved a disruptive force at the line of scrimmage, ending with four hits on Tom Brady. He added a couple of tackles.