In a locker room full of very happy men, Dwight Freeney didn’t necessarily stand out Sunday evening unless you award bonus mirth for excessive Super Bowls reached.
The 15-year veteran will make his third trip to the NFL’s mecca, sent back by the Falcons 44-21 throttling of the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game in the Georgia Dome.
A few months ago, he wasn’t even sure he’d play football again. Atlanta brass was convinced the pass-rushing specialist could help, though, and he signed as a free agent for one more year – for now.
Having gone to Super Bowls with the Colts after the 2006 and ’09 seasons, beating the Bears and losing to the Saints, he knows the joy.
His age, 36, and experience may make him appreciate his third Super Bowl the most.
“In a way, you do because you’re older and you realize these moments don’t come often so you kind of take a second and take it all in, all the moments,” he said after registering an assist and pressuring Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers a couple times.
“That’s what’s been happening this whole process for me … taking it all in because I don’t know when it will happen again if it will ever happen again.”
Freeney came close last season, reaching the NFC Championship Game with the Cardinals only to be trounced by the Panthers.
That pain lingered a bit, and when the Falcons lost one-point game to the Chiefs in the 14th week of the season, he pulled younger teammates aside.
“I told the guys there’s nothing we can do in these moments but get better,” he said. “We started to get hot at the right time. All the stuff that happens in the regular season is to try to get ready to get in this position. Anything can happen in the playoffs.”
The Falcons won their final four regular season games, and whipped the Seahawks and the Packers in the playoffs to earn their second Super Bowl trip.
That’s what Freeney’s talking about.
“When we were on our roll in Indianapolis, I felt like we were going to go back every single year and it didn’t happen,” he said. “So I missed this moment and to be back in this moment, it’s priceless. It’s the reason why I came back.”
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