Deion Branch Anthony Deion Branch , Jr . ( born July 18 , 1979 ) is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft . He played college football at Louisville . Branch has also played for the Seattle Seahawks . 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 . He was the first receiver to win the award since 1989 when Jerry Rice had his 11 catch game . Early years . Branch was born in Albany , Georgia . He attended Monroe Comprehensive High School in Albany , where he lettered in both football and track and field . College career . Junior college . After graduating from high school , Branch attended Jones County Junior College in Ellisville , Mississippi , where he played football for two seasons . As a freshman in 1997 , Branch caught 37 passes for 639 yards and five touchdowns , and also returned 14 kickoffs for a 23 . 6 yard average . In 1998 , Branch had 70 receptions for 1 , 012 yards and nine touchdowns , while also returning 15 punts for a 12 . 8 yard average and 17 kickoffs for a 19 . 6 yard average . His sophomore performance earned him second - team All - American honors . University of Louisville . Branch played two seasons for John L . Smith at the University of Louisville beginning in 2000 . As a junior , Branch started ten games and led the team with 71 receptions for 1 , 016 yards and nine touchdowns . His 6 . 45 catches per game ranked six in the nation . The Cardinals finished the 2000 season with a record of 9 - 3 , won the Conference USA Football Championship and went to the 2000 Liberty Bowl where Branch had a Liberty Bowl record 10 catches for 170 yards and 1 TD reception in their 22 - 17 loss to Colorado State . He was named an All - Conference USA first - team selection in addition to being voted the Cardinals ' Most Valuable Player and Outstanding Offensive Performer . As a senior in 2001 , Branch again led the team in catches with 72 , recording a conference - best 1 , 188 yards as well as nine touchdowns . He also returned 10 punts for 112 yards , including a 61 - yard touchdown return . The Cardinals finished the 2001 season with a record of 11 - 2 , won the Conference USA Football Championship again and went to the 2001 Liberty Bowl where Branch had a 34 yard TD reception in their 28 - 10 win against BYU . He was again named a first - team All - Conference USA selection following the season . Professional career . New England Patriots . Branch was drafted by the Patriots in the second round ( 65th overall ) of the 2002 NFL Draft . In his rookie season in 2002 , Branch started 7 of 13 games played for the Patriots , missing the final three games of the regular season with a leg injury . He finished the season with 43 catches for 489 yards and two touchdowns , ranking him third on the team behind Troy Brown and David Patten . On special teams , Branch led the Patriots with 36 kickoff returns for 863 yards and added two punts returns for 58 yards . In Week 4 against the San Diego Chargers , Branch caught 13 passes , the second - highest single - game total by a rookie in NFL history . In 2003 , Branch started 11 of 15 games played for the Patriots , missing only the team ' s Week 6 game against the Tennessee Titans with an injury . He led the team with 57 catches for 803 yards , recording first downs on 40 of his receptions , 24 of which came on third down . In the Patriots ' victory in Super Bowl XXXVIII over the Carolina Panthers , Branch caught 10 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown . His 17 - yard catch on the final drive with seconds remaining set - up Adam Vinatieri ' s game - winning 41 - yard field goal . Branch returned in 2004 to start the Patriots ' first two games of the season before suffering a leg injury in the first half of the team ' s Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals . He would not return until Week 11 , starting every remaining game and finishing the regular season with 35 receptions for 454 yards and four touchdowns . Branch had a 60 - yard touchdown catch in the Patriots ' AFC Championship game win over the Pittsburgh Steelers , earning him NFL Offensive Player of Championship Sunday honors . Two weeks later , in Super Bowl XXXIX , Branch tied a Super Bowl record with 11 catches for 133 yards . He was named Super Bowl MVP , the first receiver to do so since 1989 . The Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles for Branch ' s second Super Bowl ring . In 2005 , Branch played in 16 games ( 15 starts ) for the first time , setting career highs with 78 receptions for 998 yards and five touchdowns . In the Patriots ' Divisional playoff loss to the Denver Broncos , Branch had 8 catches for 153 yards , including a former career - long catch of 73 yards . 2006 holdout and trade . Following the 2005 season , Branch entered the final year of his five - year rookie contract signed in 2002 , with his base salary scheduled to be $ 1 . 045 million in 2006 . In May 2006 , the Patriots offered Branch a three - year contract extension through 2009 . The offer had a $ 4 million signing bonus and $ 4 million option bonus . In base salaries , he would have received $ 1 . 4 million in 2007 , $ 4 . 3 million in 2008 , and $ 4 . 75 million in 2009 . It was the last formal contract discussion between the two sides , leading Branch to hold out of the team ' s mandatory June minicamp , training camp , and the preseason . On August 25 , 2006 , the Patriots announced that Branch was given permission to seek a trade and negotiate a contract with other teams through September 1 , 2006 . Both the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets made trade offers to the Patriots , but neither trade was consummated before the September 1 deadline . After the deadline passed , Branch filed two grievances against the Patriots with the NFL claiming the Patriots did not bargain in good faith and did not trade him after being offered a second - round selection by another team . Branch remained on the team ' s Reserve / Did Not Report list through the first week of the regular season . By not reporting , Branch was fined over $ 600 , 000 by the Patriots . On September 11 , 2006 , the Patriots traded Branch to the Seahawks for a first - round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft . Branch subsequently signed a six - year , $ 39 million contract extension with the Seahawks . On the same day as the trade , the Patriots filed tampering charges against the Jets , claiming that the Jets revealed the Patriots ' trade proposal to Branch in the process of their contract negotiations , compromising the Patriots ' negotiating position . In February 2007 , the NFL cleared the Jets of the tampering charges . Seattle Seahawks . After being traded to Seattle , Branch played in the final 14 games of the season for the Seahawks in 2006 , starting 13 of them . He finished the season ranked second on the team with 53 receptions for 725 yards and four touchdowns . He added 8 catches for 96 yards in the team ' s two playoff games . Branch had 343 yards for the Seahawks in the first five games ( all starts ) of the 2007 season , before suffering a foot sprain and not returning until Week 11 . He went on to start six more games before a strained right calf kept him out of the team ' s Week 17 game against the Atlanta Falcons and their Wild Card playoff win over the Washington Redskins . He returned for the Seahawks ' loss to the Green Bay Packers the next week but did not record a reception . He finished the regular season third on the team with 49 catches for 661 yards and four touchdowns . In 2008 , Branch missed eight of the first nine games to injury but started the team ' s other seven games . He finished the season fourth on the team with 30 catches for 412 yards and four touchdowns . He returned in 2009 to play in 14 games ( five starts ) , recording 45 catches for 437 yards and two touchdowns . Branch began his final season in Seattle in 2010 by starting three of the team ' s first four games , catching 13 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown . Second stint with the New England Patriots . On October 11 , 2010 , Branch was traded back to the Patriots for a fourth - round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft . The pick was to be the higher of the Patriots ' 2011 fourth - round selections , their own pick or the Denver Broncos selection acquired in an earlier trade involving running back Laurence Maroney ; the Broncos selection was higher . The move reunited Branch with former quarterback Tom Brady and came less than a week after the Patriots traded All - Pro receiver Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings for a third - round draft selection in the 2011 NFL Draft . In his first game back with the Patriots , Branch had 9 receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown in an overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens . On Thanksgiving , Week 12 , against the Detroit Lions , Branch had a career long 79 - yard touchdown catch from Brady in the third quarter , and added a 22 - yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter in a Patriots win . Two weeks later , against the Chicago Bears , Branch caught a 59 - yard touchdown pass from Brady at the end of the first half of a Patriots victory . In 11 games ( nine starts ) with the Patriots in 2010 , Branch had 48 receptions for 706 yards and five touchdowns . In 2011 , Branch had five touchdown receptions and 702 receiving yards . He became a free agent after the season and re - signed on March 22 , 2012 . Branch was released by the Patriots on August 31 , 2012 during final cuts . On September 18th 2012 , the Patriots re - signed Branch . On November 17 , 2012 , The New England Patriots waived Branch to make room for practice squad receiver Greg Salas . On December 11 , 2012 The New England Patriots re - signed Branch due to injuries to Julian Edelman and Donte Stallworth