Super Bowl XLVI: Michael Boley is now a champion
INDIANAPOLIS – Just moments after winning Super Bowl XLVI, former Falcons linebacker Michael reflected on his stay in Atlanta after being selected out of Southern Mississippi in the 2005 NFL draft.
New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin addressing the media after winning Super Bowl XLVI. (D. Orlando Ledbetter/Dledbetter@ajc.com)
Boley
“I thank Mr. [Arthur] Blank for giving me my first opportunity,” Boley said. “Obviously, if the Falcons don’t give me a shot I wouldn’t be here right now.”
Boley led the New York Giants with 10 tackles in their 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Boley was the 160th player selected in the 2005 draft. He was highly recommended by former director of college scouting Phil Emery, who was recently named the general manager of the Chicago Bears.
Boley broke into the starting lineup as a rookie as he started 11 of 16 games and was a key player on the defense until late in the 2008 season.
He lost his starting job to Coy Wire and was allowed to leave during free agency. The Giants snapped him up with a five-year, $25 million contract.
Somehow, Boley still looks back on his time with the Falcons fondly.
“It’s been a great journey,” Boley said.
He has become a key member of the Giants defense, which held the Falcons without any offensive points in their 24-2 victory in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Jan. 8.
“Michael Boley is an extension of me to a large degree because he communicates to the front and to the coverage guys,” Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. “He gets us in the right defenses. I can’t say enough about his football intelligence as well as his athletic ability.”
Boley was elated about the reaching the pinnacle of professional football.
“This is everyone’s dream, to be at this point and make it this far,” Boley said. “It’s what I had in mind when I came to the Giants. This is what I wanted. I know this team had the makeup to be champions again.”
Against the Patriots, the Giants weren’t in the clear until Tom Brady’s Hail Mary pass escaped the diving grasp of New England tight end Rob Gronkowski.
“I was screaming for joy,” Boley said. “I knew it was over. We were champs.”
New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin said their victory over the Falcons was a key to their Super Bowl march.
“Defense, defense and defense,” Coughlin said when asked what the Giants took away from the victory over the Falcons. “They scored two points off a safety. So, I thought our defense was outstanding.”
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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61 comments Add your comment
DC
February 6th, 2012
12:25 pm
RISE UP ATLANTA!….
K Conway
February 6th, 2012
12:55 pm
Another classic Falcon blunder!
Mave2124
February 6th, 2012
1:10 pm
I still think we decided against keeping him for off the field and personality fit issues, not talent…good for him that he didn’t rip the team.
PMC
February 6th, 2012
1:24 pm
Sure would have looked good on the other side of Spoon. Oh well.
Atlanta is not a city that wins championships. It’s just a large airport.
PMC
February 6th, 2012
1:26 pm
He lost his job to Coy Wire………….. a mostly special teams ace with fused vertebrae
Really?????
mountain_jim
February 6th, 2012
1:27 pm
Congrats to Boley – questions to our GM and staff – why was he allowed to leave / not worth keeping?
mountain_jim
February 6th, 2012
1:28 pm
Maybe our new coordinators will be better able to develop and correctly value the talent.
MeToo
February 6th, 2012
2:03 pm
WHO CARES? AND WHY DOES IT MATTER? HE DOESN’T PLAY FOR THE FALCONS NOW!! GIVE US BETTER NEWS!
Ex-Season Ticket Holder
February 6th, 2012
2:15 pm
Yet once again, the NFC team that beats the Falcons in the playoffs goes on to win the Superbowl: Arizona; Green Bay; Giants.
goodgod
February 6th, 2012
2:15 pm
don’t forget brett farve started with the falcons too…..
Deep South Falcon
February 6th, 2012
2:22 pm
DUDE! who cares about Michael Boley…..he plays for the GIANTS. Are you an NY beat writer now. I mean really, maybe some actual posts on the Falcons, and who they might be looking at in free agnecy instead of putting this out there and a full list of free agents. I’m glad he may be your friend, but i give two s%%ts about Boley.
Super Bowl XLVI: Michael Boley is now a champion | football-feed.com
February 6th, 2012
2:29 pm
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Joe Tess Fish House
February 6th, 2012
2:34 pm
Add anoter name to the already long list of palyers the Flacons turned there backs on to do better elsewhere.
Nice job again.
teamguy
February 6th, 2012
2:35 pm
Where have you gone, Matt Winkeljohn?
Opie
February 6th, 2012
2:44 pm
Good report DLED, another example of Mike Smith’s ineptness for talent! He basically benched Boley for Coy Wire, Choir Boy! Are you KIDDING ME!! Mave2124, Boley never had any off field or persona;ity problems in ATL. he was one of Rich McKays better draft picks in 2005 with Roddy White. Smith always chooses mediocrity over talent.
FalconFan
February 6th, 2012
2:52 pm
Boley for Wire? Makes you wonder who is evaluating the talent on this team……and it also makes you wonder if we are ever going to get any better. Heck, lets replace wire with Crowder, who hasn’t even played for a year!
david
February 6th, 2012
3:17 pm
just a few short weeks ago N. Y WAS WANTING FIRE THERE WHOLE STAFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the atlanta falcons will be there ,,,,we are 3 or 4 players away on D.
Ivan
February 6th, 2012
4:06 pm
D-Led,
I didn’t realize he lost his job to Coy Wire. Only that he wanted too much money that the Falcons couldn’t afford as UFA. Correct me if I’m wrong.
The Grinch
February 6th, 2012
4:15 pm
I was under the impression it was a contract situation myself…if it wasn’t, this sounds like a completely different article. Did he leave because we couldn’t afford him, or because we have player evaluation issues? This is an important difference to note.
CaliDirtyBird
February 6th, 2012
5:27 pm
As I recall, he had what many considered a near probowl worthy season in 2008 and then was evaluated by the departed BVG to have regressed the following year! Guess we know who was right in that one. Boley is a World Champion and BVG is back in college! LOL!
CaliDirtyBird
February 6th, 2012
5:31 pm
We all have blamed Brooking for giving up the 3rd and long to Arizona in the playoffs. But it kept happening after Brooking left ( for 3 more years)! That’s got to be scheme? Am I wrong?
Sid
February 6th, 2012
5:51 pm
Hey, the Giants got hot at the right time. And a little luck that the Pats couldn’t catch a pass on that final drive….you tell them Gisele. It’s gonna be quiet up at Falcons camp for a bit, ya’ll give DLed some story ideas. Like maybe he and Turner could go fishing or something.and write about that. Hey DLed, are we gonna sign Peyton??
And yeah, I still blame Brooking.
SirReal
February 6th, 2012
7:44 pm
Yet another guy that leaves this place and finds success….Harry Douglas will be next. smh
woodie
February 6th, 2012
7:49 pm
Finally a Falcon wins a super bowl. He got of Hades and was replaced by Coy Wire ?? He must be pinching himself that he got away from this dreadful organization.
tdawg in Stockbridge
February 6th, 2012
8:12 pm
The worst part of the Boley fiiasco- we didn’t get anything for him, not even a late round pick. The same with the receiver that plays with the cowboys- Laurant Robinson. He could have been a great #2 with Roddy and we would not have had to draft Julio.Our GM is a genius!
FalconFreak
February 6th, 2012
8:33 pm
Very telling trade…
Najeh Davenpoop
February 6th, 2012
8:42 pm
When did Arizona win the Super Bowl, genius? Michael Boley would have already won a championship before this week if he had played for the best team in Atlanta, which is the Hawks. Buy Hawks tickets, guys! They need your support, and they win in the playoffs!
cybo
February 6th, 2012
8:42 pm
Don’t forget about Andre Rison who caught a nice bomb from Favre in a superbowl victory
AfterTheFall
February 6th, 2012
8:53 pm
If I were a potential superstar NFL draft pick, or a walk-on I’d play a year or two for the Falcons, then use them as a stepping stone to move to a superbowl contender.
AfterTheFall
February 6th, 2012
8:57 pm
I’d buy a bag of pistachio’s, 2 philly cheese steaks, a nice bottle of Arizona sweet tea, and some ice cream for desert before I waste money on a Hawks basketball game ticket. Oh, and batteries for the remote so I can turn that garbage to channel surf.
Sid
February 6th, 2012
9:01 pm
Najeh Davenpoop February 6th, 2012 8:42 pm
“the best team in Atlanta, which is the Hawks” Buy Hawks tickets, guys! They need your support, and they win in the playoffs!
***************************************************************
Hell, I’m surprised you didn’t promote Chic Fil A night………isn’t there a Hawks blog?
Falcon Realist
February 6th, 2012
9:02 pm
He didn’t lose his position on the field. Let’s leave it there. Squeaky clean.
hind tit
February 6th, 2012
9:02 pm
I knew when they let Boley go they messed up. Always around the ball.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 6th, 2012
9:18 pm
Weak fans like you can stick with the Falcons. Losers deserve losers. You’ll be on the Hawks bandwagon soon enough, but enjoy seeing the Falcons lose as always. 0-3 in the playoffs. Facts are facts!
day old fries
February 6th, 2012
10:14 pm
hawks latest homestand? 0-3
true,facts are facts
Old Timer
February 6th, 2012
10:14 pm
Hey, look on the bright side. We don’t have to waste our time by watching the first day of the NFL draft. Maybe we can just look through pictures of Julio. And as for next season, you can pretty well predict the Falcons’ outstanding players. They’ll be the ones in the last year of a contract and working on squeezing a nice new contract out of Arthur Blank.
Whopper Dawg
February 7th, 2012
12:41 am
With all of the injuries the Giants TEs have, maybe TG can sign with them and have a shot at his career goal of winning a playoff game and maybe even the Bowl!!!
Lord, knows he won’t with this bunch TD put together.
hooper
February 7th, 2012
7:45 am
I am so sick of people referring to the Laurent(sp?) Robinson deal as a bad move. HE COULDN’T STAY HEALTHY. He even went out early with an injury after St. Louis got him. He had one decent year and all of a sudden WE are the fools. Please. As for Boley, he HAD regressed. Maybe being shipped off to a different roster was a wake up call for him. Who knows?
hooper
February 7th, 2012
7:47 am
Oh, and also: WHO CARES?? When are we going to get some decent Falcons coverage at this site?
DeepDiver
February 7th, 2012
8:10 am
Let me also sign the petition for more CURRENT Falcons coverage, please. DOL your last two submissions have been toilet paper.
Respectfully yours
PMC
February 7th, 2012
9:40 am
Laurent Robinson struck out with 2 different teams. He’s always had talent. He was nice here in the preseason and at practice, but the guy was hurt over and over and over again. His time with the Cowboys is the first time he’s ever really been available for the bulk of the year.
That, and we probably shouldn’t say Boley lost his job to Coy Wire. Boley was a starter, the team chose not to resign him, and really didn’t replace him until they drafted Spoon.
Wire has always been a special teams linebacker and spot duty guy. He’s hard nosed, but I don’t believe there was any assumption by anyone that he would replace Boley.
JayCool4DaBirds
February 7th, 2012
9:59 am
So what Boley won a Superbowl. The Falcons didn’t resign him because he quit (what you guys are calling regression) on them after they delayed his contract extension during the season. Not to mention he did have the off the field issues where the law had to be involved.
JayCool4DaBirds
February 7th, 2012
10:07 am
Yeah that’s right he’s the ex Falcon that thinks it’s ok to beat his wife. And after being arrested twice for it as a Falcon he went to New York and got arrested for abusing his son. Yet he is the man because he won a Superbowl right.
Ken
February 7th, 2012
10:47 am
The Falcons lose Boley or let him go becuase he was going to cost too much to keep when the team needed to address other positions. In the efforts to build a winning team some hard choices had to be made and they had a rookie by the name of Nicholas waiting in the wings goodbye Boley its that simple. Congrats to Michael Boley!!
ASHCAN
February 7th, 2012
12:06 pm
@David,you have a point(4 or 5 players away on defence) but the problem is the falcons always select the wrong 4 or 5 and give away the right ones.
ASHCAN
February 7th, 2012
12:15 pm
@Hooper,sounds like right players(Falcons give away players who win superbowls) and wrong coordinators with schemes that don’t match the players talent.Good coaches see what a player does best a use it to the teams advantage.I think coach nolan will do that.
Jimmy Crack
February 7th, 2012
12:34 pm
GOOD CALL…Michael and the Giants.
BAD CALL…us, again.
Bigg Don
February 7th, 2012
12:41 pm
Gotta admit I was a little miffed when they let Boley get away and the same thing will happen with Sidbury, wait and see. That being said, we all knew that already so why bring it up? We ALL KNOW about the Falcons, Braves, Hawks (Most recently Jeff Teague) history of screwing the pooch.
I’ve got one suggestion for the Falcons. Knowshon evidently needs some help, we’ve got Peachford, I say bring him in for a look see. New scenery might do him some good. Also starting to sour on Dimitroff and Smith’s drafting ability. Damnit, man, why in the hell won’t you look up the road in Athens. Didin’t I see a Bengals all pro tackle that played four years in Athens named Gino Atkins? Wasn’t there a very talented left-right-guard-takle guy that started 48 plus games in Athens two years ago drafted in the late rounds that is now a pro-bowler for the Bengals at right tackle? Isn’t there a starting corner for the Giants named jennings? Oh, yeah, DJ f/k/a Danny Ware just played for the giants. Forgot about him.
warfalcons
February 7th, 2012
2:44 pm
Most of you non Grady babies don`t know about the CURSE put on Atlanta 46 years a go.
Not a Falcon fan
February 7th, 2012
5:33 pm
I think it’s funny, Michael Boley leaves the falCANTS and wins a Super Bowl. Even Byron Leftwich wins a Super Bowl after leaving the birds. Just part of the same old falCANTS. Losers !!!!!!!!!!!