After racking up 2.5 sacks, including 2 game-changing strip-sacks, Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller was named MVP of Super Bowl 50 following their 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. Less than 48 hours later, Miller joined The Jim Rome Show and said he hasn’t yet embraced the attention that comes with being the biggest star on the sport’s biggest stage.
“I haven’t had time to really look up and recognize all the stuff. I’ve been spending a lot of time with my teammates,” Miller told Rome. “That’s where I want to be at right now. That’s where I feel normal, and I’m just enjoying my time around those guys.”
Having missed his team’s loss in Super Bowl XLVIII because of a torn ACL, Miller wasn’t going to miss out on a second shot at a championship.
“I think whenever you get a second opportunity of life, you definitely got to take advantage of it, and I did that,” Miller said. “I’m still in the moment. I’m still in shock from all the fun and all the celebration from all my teammates and stuff. We’re just getting started. Very, very long season. We put a whole lot into it and it’s great to get a championship.”
On Miller’s second strip-sack of Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, the NFL MVP appeared to be hesitant to fall on the football, a fumble Denver eventually recovered. Newton has been blasted by critics for his lack of effort on the play, but Miller has a theory.
“I don’t think he tapped out, I think he was just trying to look out for DeMarcus [Ware], I don’t think he wanted to hurt DeMarcus,” Miller said jokingly. “I don’t think he wanted to jump on it and hurt DeMarcus.”
However, Miller did think the media is playing up Newton’s overall effort in the game.
“Cam, he is a great competitor. He was competing all night. There wasn’t a time in the game where I felt like we had the game won until the very end of the game,” Miller said. “So I definitely don’t think he tapped out. You can watch the game and see how many sacks he broke, what his individual effort was to try to help his team and try to help pick up the guys around him.”
The former Texas A&M star also talked about his postgame comments in support of former Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel.
“There’s been so much negative media towards my man, I wanted to create some positive media for him,” Miller said of the former Heisman winner. “He already knows that I’m there for him. He was just on my mind that weekend, on my mind at night. I’m here for him, and I’m not here to tell him what he is doing is right or what he is doing is wrong, I’m here to support him. I think he has a grip on what is right and what is wrong; he’s been through a tough patch just like everybody. Two years ago, nobody would expect me to win Super Bowl MVP and I don’t think people should write off Johnny. He still has a lot left in the tank and I’m going to be here with him every step of the way.”
