Flacco begins collecting awards as Super Bowl MVP

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Working on 90 minutes of sleep, Joe Flacco wore a day-old beard and a weary smile that wouldn't go away.

Super Bowl tradition deems that the game's MVP appear at a ceremony the following morning to shake hands with the commissioner of the NFL, accept his trophy, pose for pictures and receive the keys to a new car. After celebrating the Baltimore Ravens' 34-31 victory over San Francisco into the early hours of Monday morning, Flacco dutifully fulfilled that obligation.

The quarterback's immediate reward was a 2014 Corvette. In the months ahead, Flacco is almost assured of receiving a contract befitting his incredible performance during Baltimore's run to the NFL championship.

During the playoffs, Flacco had 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions, a feat NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called "extraordinary.''