Here are Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers' comments to the media after Super Bowl XLV:
On his remarks that NFC Championship wasn't his best game and that the defense carried the Packers to a win and how it feels to return the favor and be awarded MVP this go around:
"It means I played better tonight. I struggled some in the last game. Guys made some plays tonight. I felt in a better rhythm. Mike (McCarthy) had a great flow to the game. Fun night."
On joining the circle of quarterbacks who have won a championship:
"It is a dream come true. It's what I dreamt about as a little kid watching Joe Montana and Steve Young, and we just won the Super Bowl."
On the job defense did getting the turnovers and big stops:
"Defense was incredible tonight. They've been great all season, carrying us, getting us turnovers, scoring off turnovers. Unbelievable!"
On being given wrestling belt by teammates:
"I mean, that wasn't my idea but that's a special tribute there. Unbelievable night. Great group of men. Big win."
On overcoming the drops:
"That is just like our season. A lot of adversity. Guys stepped up you know. Sam (Shields) was done. Charles (Woodson) was down. Donald (Driver) was down. Jordy Nelson, huge game. Jarrett Bush, interception. That's the story of our season. A lot of high character guys who've stepped up, played huge roles for us, and now we're sitting here as Super Bowl Champs."
On if he felt his performance was improved over NFC Championship game with winning MVP:
"Of course, of course. But you know, missed a couple of throws tonight. Also, I felt like I kind of got into a rhythm there. Mike (McCarthy) really got the plays flowing. The line did a good job giving me time and guys made big plays. Greg (Jenning) had a couple real big plays. That one there late in the game -- huge play. Jordy (Nelson) played great. James (Jones), big catch on that last drive. It was just a fun night."
On what he saw from Steelers' defense:
"There's a lot of similarities between their defense and our defense and we see it every day in practice. We just felt confident that we were going to be able to move the football, as long as we blocked them up. They got LaMarr (Woodley) and James (Harrison) off the edge. Two great, as good as they come, but we felt if we could block them up, we'd get some shots down the field."
On getting the Brett Favre monkey off his back:
"I've never felt like there's been a monkey on my back. The organization stood behind me, believed in me. That's what I did on the podium; I thanked Ted (Thompson) and Mark (Murphy) and Mike (McCarthy) really for believing in me and giving me an opportunity. I told Ted back in 2005 he wouldn't be sorry with this pick. I told him in '08 that I was going to repay their trust and get us this opportunity."
On what he saw from Steelers' defense:
"They just changed up their coverage a lot. They pressured most of the game. Our guys did a great job picking it up and when they didn't pick it up, for the most part, I got rid of the ball pretty quickly."
On winning the Lombardi Trophy:
"Well, it's named the Lombardi Trophy for a reason, because we play and live in Titletown. We have the best fans, an organization that believes in us and gives us the opportunity to be successful and I can't wait to go home and see those fans and bring them the Lombardi Trophy."
On the support of the Green Bay Packers:
"I love our fans. Our fans our so supportive. It's been incredible to end four playoff games now with 'Go Pack Go' chants on the road. They are great at home. They travel well. It's a first-name basis when we see them out. It's a special place to play and all of us are blessed to live and play in Green Bay, and hopefully we are repaying those fans with the trophy."
On being thankful to the Lord for this win:
"I feel like the Lord has had a hand in my life since I was a young kid. I thank Him for the opportunity. I don't think He really cares who wins and loses, but as long as He's getting the glory. I appreciate the talents and abilities He's blessed me with and the opportunity to work with such a great group of men. The character in that locker room is like nothing I've ever been a part of. It's just a special group of guys who believe in each other and love each other. When someone goes down, somebody steps up and picks each other up."
On the touchdown pass to Greg Jennings:
"I saw Troy (Polamalu), but it was more I was looking to the left and coming back to the right side, and had a good idea from a couple of plays before that Greg was going to be open on a corner route, and he made a good catch. I almost threw it too far."
On looking ahead to next year and how to get even better:
"I mean, we'll get Jermichael Finley back; that'll help. I'm just going to enjoy tonight with my guys. It's a great feeling. It really is. It's just a feeling of accomplishment right now. We've accomplished our goals. We talked about it March 16 when we met for the first time, and here we are, World Champions. We are going to enjoy tonight, enjoy the offseason and then try to get back here and win another one."
On that last offensive drive:
"I was just disappointed we didn't finish off with seven. We talked about it with seven minutes left when we got the ball. 'Hey, let's take it down and score and we're the Champs.' We made a couple of big plays on third down, but unfortunately, I just missed Jordy (Nelson) on that third down on the goal line. You know, a couple of years ago, Ben (Roethlisberger) took them down against Arizona and won the game. It's a helpless feeling. I was just praying our guys would come up with one more stop."
On whether or not he was frustrated over the drops:
"I'm not frustrated anymore."
On the way Jordy Nelson stepped up:
"Jordy is a consistent contributor for us. He actually wasn't a guy I've really ever thrown to on the first touchdown pass on that progression, but I kind of gave him eye contact on the signal. He made a great catch. He made a big play for us there in the fourth quarter. He's just a great teammate, and a great player."
On some of the lulls in the game:
"I'd say the whole game was a little bit different, not a lot of flow to it. After the pick six, we were on the sidelines for a long time in the first half. Never really got our momentum back until the fourth quarter on those last few drives. In a game like this with the long TV timeouts, you lose your sweat. You lose your feel. You don't have those back-to-back plays, back-to-back possessions where you are still feeling like you are loose. You've got to kind of stay loose on the sidelines somehow, but thankfully we had a big drive there in the fourth quarter after the fumble to put us up by 11, and then a big drive to finish the game."
On calling some audibles at the line:
"It was just a special feeling knowing that Mike (McCarthy) trusted me enough to let me make the decisions there and make the plays. They've got a great front seven; tough to run against. Again, we felt like if we could pick them up, there were some lanes to throw. I just appreciated Mike and his trust in me to make the right decision."
On being named MVP:
"It's a special honor to be one of the leaders of this football team. I've said it once and I'll say it again: no one person has ever won a game by themselves. This is a team effort and a great group of men. Special guys, and I'm just blessed to be one of the leaders on this team. Individually, it's the top of the mountain in my sport -- my profession. It's what you dream about as a kid and think about in high school, junior college, D-I: getting this opportunity and what would you do? I'm fortunate and blessed to play for a team that believes in us. At the same time, I wanted to make sure I was the most prepared guy on the field to have this type of performance."
On going from his Draft Day experience to winning the Super Bowl, and his touchdown passes:
"I already said Draft Day was the best day of my career. It really was. Not only did I fall to a great organization, but I got humbled at the same time. I had to reinvent myself and become a better person, but a better player as well. I got a great opportunity with Green Bay. The play you are talking about to Greg (Jennings) in the fourth quarter was just a post route. I've hit before on that. I hit him a couple of times against Arizona last year in the playoffs. I put the ball where I wanted to. Ike (Taylor) had good coverage; Greg made a great play. The one to Jordy (Nelson) was an adjustment. Like I said, I haven't really thrown to him in that progression ever. I liked the match-up and he made a great catch."
