Deion Branch (born July 18, 1979 in Albany, Georgia) is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New England Patriots of the NFL. He is 5'9" and 193 pounds. He 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. 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 a humble second-round pick. But after picking defensive end Ty Warren in the first round, the Pats apparently saw something special in him. And he did not disappoint, becoming quarterback Tom Brady's primary target and leading the team to two straight Super Bowls. 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.
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.
Preceded by: Tom Brady NFL Super Bowl MVPs Super Bowl XXXIX, 2005 Succeeded by: Hines Ward
