Q. After winning the Super Bowl and being named the game’s MVP, how much sleep did you get Sunday night?
A. I tried to sleep, but it was overwhelming. When you’re the MVP and Super Bowl champion, it’s tough to sleep. I had two or three hours’ worth.
Q. You won a Cadillac Escalade as the Super Bowl MVP. What car were you driving before winning this vehicle?
A. I was driving a Suburban and a Chevy Impala. The Cadillac will be a nice addition. It’s a beautiful car. I love it.
Q. The relationship between the NFL and Disney World has changed, so the Super Bowl MVP does not necessarily say “I’m going to Disney World” to become a spokesman for that theme park. Are you disappointed?
A. I am a little disappointed. I always wanted to hang out with Mickey Mouse and the guys. I wasn’t selected. That’s fine. I can ride by [Disney World] in my new Cadillac. I can toot my horn when I ride by.
Q. Your wife is expecting your first child. What will you tell your child in later years about your Super Bowl experience?
A. We’re expecting a girl. I’ll tell her, “You know Daddy was the MVP? I wish you could have been there, but you waited a little too late to come.”
Q. There were several outstanding individual performances for Tampa Bay on Sunday. Were any of your teammates resentful that you were singled out for the honor?
A. I had the two interceptions in the first half, then we came back in the third quarter. . . . Coach Jon Gruden was still throwing the ball. I said: “Hey, he’s trying to get Brad Johnson the MVP.” But it’s the West Coast offense and that’s what we do, throw short passes. Simeon [Rice] said I deserved [the MVP]. He has seen me come a long way. He was one of the first guys to come and congratulate me.
Q. Gruden challenged your defense to come up with nine defensive scores this season. Did you guys take that as a dare?
A. During the regular season we came up short. But Sunday night at the Super Bowl we were able to score three [touchdowns] on returns.
Q. You were an all-state quarterback in high school, passing for more than 2,000 yards in your junior and senior seasons before becoming a defensive back at national power Florida State. Is this Pete Rozelle MVP honor the biggest award you have received?
A. My biggest award was going back to college after I got drafted, going back to get my college degree.
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Have a question or an idea for Fred Mitchell? E-mail: AskFred@tribune.com
