Bradshaw recounts his Super day

The fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLII was only played a month ago. Yet it is considered by some to be the greatest period in the event’s illustrious history.

That quarter produced heroes, both known and unknown, sung and unsung. Among those heroes were three New York Giants offensive rookies, Kevin Boss, Steve Smith and Bluefield’s own Ahmad Bradshaw.

On Tuesday, Bradshaw was back in Bluefield to meet with people and sign autographs at the Bluefield Auditorium. Before he met with a long line of fans, he reflected on his role in Super Bowl XLII.

With 14:52 remaining and New York trailing the New England Patriots 7-3, the Giants began a drive from their own 20 when Eli Manning found Boss on an inside slant. The catch-and-run netted 45 yards and placed the ball on the New England 35.

Bradshaw ran twice for six yards. Then Manning found Smith over the middle for 17 yards to the Patriots’ 12. It was there that the rookie had his final — and most important — carry of the season.

On a draw play, he ran up the middle through a large hole in the New England line and gained seven yards. The play was not important because it went for a score; it did not. It set up one.

On the next play, Manning faked to Ahmad Bradshaw and found an open David Tyree in the end zone. Giants 10, Patriots 7.

“That was very key,” Bradshaw said. “The coaches, you can’t take anything from them. They’re a great staff and they did a great job of just putting me in those predicaments, just driving me down the field, giving me the ball down the field.

“Then just the smartness of the coaches in knowing their defenses and everything. We practice all week and it’s a game plan. You’ve got to come in with a game plan and they were a great team.

“We had a great game plan and they called a great play at that time and put us in the end zone.”

He finished the game with just 45 yards on nine carries, but his place in history was secure.

Late in the game it seemed that his contribution might go for naught. Tom Brady led a 12-play drive that lasted 5:12. It culminated in a six-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss with 2:42 to go that seemed to cement the Patriots’ perfect legacy.

But New England made one fatal error — they left too much time on the clock.

On the sideline, Bradshaw was readying himself for the Giants’ final assault.

“I just remember getting ready for it,” he said. “They didn’t know if they were going to use me or Brandon (Jacobs). And the coordinator just told them to start with Brandon and ended up driving down the field and I was sitting on the sidelines just hoping.

“And (Michael) Strahan was like, ‘We’re going to do it,’ right before we left. He was just like the score is going to be whatever it was at the end of the game. And everybody was with him and the offense ran out.”

Manning to Amani Toomer for 11 yards. Manning to Toomer for nine yards. Jacobs converting a fourth-and-one. Manning scrambling for five yards. These plays will live in the hearts and minds of Giants fans forever.

Then it was third-and-5 from the Giants’ 44.

Manning to Tyree.

“You know what, it was just heart and desire, man,” Bradshaw said when asked about what many are calling the greatest play in Super Bowl history.

“Eli, he’s a great player. You can take nothing from him. He has as much heart in the game as anybody and he just never gave up on that play. You never think Eli will break any tackles to get up out of there and make that throw. But with his heart, he can do anything.

“And then with Tyree, he’s been playing for so long. And he’s experienced. You just can’t take anything from him. It was a heck of a catch and he deserves it.”

Manning to Smith for 12 yards to the Patriots’ 13. The Patriots decided to toss the coin with a blitz on the next play. They lost.

Manning to Plaxico Burress for a touchdown with 39 seconds to go. Giants 17, Patriots 14.

“They drove all the way down the field with a tremendous drive,” Bradshaw said. “Eli made a heck of a play and then a heck of a catch by Tyree. It was something this team deserved just because we worked that hard to get to that moment.”

Three failed passes and a sack by Jay Alford later, the Giants were one snap away from a world title. Bradshaw wanted teammate Brandon London to capture the moment forever, but he did not want to take any chances.

An NFL Films camera captured that moment.

“Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it,” he told London while pointing to the clock. “Don’t take no pictures yet. Zero, zero, zero, zero, all them zeroes!”

One second later, the clock showed all zeroes. Bradshaw was a world champion.

“It’s the greatest thing in the world, man,” he said Tuesday. “I don’t think anybody can explain how that feels. It’s unimaginable how big it is. From me and coming from where I came from with no championships and then to just be a part of the biggest championship in the world is a big thing.”

It was just as big for his relatives, he said.

“Oh, man, they were happy for me man. It was a big thing for my family. They really wanted that for me and like I said it was a big thing for me just to have the opportunity,” he said.

Two days later, Bradshaw and the Giants joined a list that includes world leaders, adventurers, astronauts, and other athletes when the Giants received a ticker-tape parade through the “Canyon of Heroes” in New York City. Three million people turned out — most of them dressed in Giants blue.

“That was amazing,” Bradshaw said. “With all the support of New York, it was an amazing scene. It was just a sight to see, man. It was one of the greatest moments of my life just to see that and just to know that everybody out there supported us and that was all because of what we did and accomplished that year.”

Each of the Giants received a key to the city from New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bradshaw said, “It was a great moment.”

Bradshaw has also received other honors, some obvious, many not. He said, “Just being a part of this championship team is a big enough honor for anything.”

The only thing left is getting the ring. Asked when that would happen, he said, “I’m not sure, man. I’d say a couple weeks maybe, a month or so.”

Then he wants to win another one, with the Giants or without.

“Hopefully, I’ll be a part of the Giants for a long time to come,” he said. “Just whatever it holds, I just plan on taking advantage of my opportunities and just enjoying my future.”

The time had come for Bradshaw to take his dapper appearance and his strawberry Gatorade and meet the long line of people waiting to see him. In his final exchange with a reporter, he was asked, “You have been blessed, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, I have,” he responded.

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