Deion Branch

Super Bowl XXXIX MVP and two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots.

Deion Branch is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the NFL. He is currently the wide receivers coach at the University of Louisville. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft. He played college football at Louisville.

Quick Facts

Position: Wide receivers coach
Current team: Louisville Cardinals
Born: 18 July 1979
Birthplace: Albany, Georgia, U.S.
High school: Monroe (Albany, Georgia)
College: Jones County JC (1997–1998), Louisville (2000–2001)
Draft year: 2002
Draft round: 2

Lore & Background

Branch was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX on February 6, 2005, after tying the Super Bowl reception record with 11 catches for 133 yards. He was the first receiver to win the award since 1989. Branch played for the Patriots from 2002 to 2005, then for the Seattle Seahawks from 2006 to 2010, before a second stint with the Patriots for the next two seasons, which included an appearance in Super Bowl XLVI.

Reader's Guide

Branch was born in Albany, Georgia, and attended Monroe Comprehensive High School. He played two seasons at Jones County Junior College, then two seasons at Louisville. He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round (65th overall) of the 2002 NFL draft. He held out in 2006 and was traded to the Seahawks on September 11, 2006, for a first-round pick. He was traded back to the Patriots on October 11, 2010, for a fourth-round pick.

Did You Know?

Branch tied Jerry Rice and Dan Ross for the Super Bowl reception record with 11 catches in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Branch caught 13 passes in a Week 4 game against the San Diego Chargers in 2002, the second-highest single-game total by a rookie in NFL history.
He had a 60-yard touchdown catch in the 2004 AFC Championship game.