Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski's record-setting combination gave the Buccaneers their first two touchdowns against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. Brady's third touchdown pass, a one-yard strike to Antonio Brown, gave Tampa Bay a 15-point halftime lead. The Buccaneers went onto defeat the Chiefs, 31-9.
Brown caught one pass for one yard in Super Bowl XLV, his only prior Super Bowl appearance. The Steelers lost that day to the Packers, 31-25, and Brown has had to wait a full decade to make it back to pro football's biggest stage. Brown also received a $750,000 bonus for helping the Buccaneers get to the mountaintop.
That is TD pass number THREE for Tom Brady.
— NFLonCBS (@NFLonCBS) February 8, 2021
Kinda seems like he's done this Super Bowl thing before.pic.twitter.com/OBIpj5pNCw
A former All-Pro, Brown was considered the greatest receiver in football just a few years ago. But following a tumultuous 18-months that saw him endure missteps both on and off the field, Brown is just 30 minutes away from winning his first Super Bowl.
"It's been a long journey over the course of you know, a year-and-a half of scrutiny, adversity, you name it," Brown told reporters during the week. "I've been through it, but it didn't stop me. I didn't want to give up. I just got persistent, made a plan, wrote out my goals, set my intention of what I want out of my life and just took a step back. ... I'm grateful to be in this moment, but I know there's still a long way to go."
While his legacy was ultimately impacted by the last two years, Brown is nevertheless a Super Bowl champion, a title that eluded him during the first decade of his career.
