Super Bowl hero: 'God be blessed'

PHOENIX (Christian Examiner) – "I believe in God and I'm truly blessed."

That was Malcolm Butler's response to CBS' Gayle King during an early segment Feb. 2 on "This Morning," when asked what he was thinking when he woke up this morning.

"I just prayed all this week, and I pray in other times, too. I just had to wake up this morning and be like 'Is this real?'"

New England's quarterback Tom Brady was named Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLIX, won by the Patriot's 28-24 over the Seattle Seahawks. Brady earned his fourth world championship game in six appearances, throwing for 328 yards with a record 37 completions (in 50 attempts), including four touchdowns.

But it was the 5-11 and 190 pound Butler who was the improbable hero, snatching a Russell Wilson pass on the goal line to prevent a Seahawks score and preserve a Patriots' win.

The graduate of tiny University of West Alabama had been passed up in the National Football League draft and looked over in the initial wave of undrafted pickups. At one point while transitioning between schools he worked for a Popeyes restaurant

Now he will be immortalized in Super Bowl lore for his game winning interception.

But he is humble about his achievement.

Charlie Rose found that out when he quipped, "If this is God, He's got great hands."

Butler paused and kindly demurred, "Oh ... thank you, thank you, thank you. God be blessed for the talent He gave me."