David Tyree was an obscure special teams player until his miraculous catch in last year's Super Bowl. His new book, More Than Just The Catch, recounts the story that led up to that catch, including his struggles with infidelity and drugs and his dramatic acceptance of Christ. In the days leading up to the Super Bowl, several people, including Tyree's "spiritual mother," author Kimberly Daniels, said that God would raise him out of obscurity during the Super Bowl. We pick up during halftime…

I was ready to play in the second half because I knew that the play I had been waiting on for five weeks could possibly be called. I had a horrible practice on the Friday before the game and dropped almost every ball. I went over to Eli to let him know that I was ready. I told myself, "Friday was Friday, but this is Super Bowl Sunday," and I wanted to say the same thing to him. Before I was able to finish my statement, Eli cut me off and looked into my eyes and said, "I know you're ready. I trust you."

It was time to play football. The moment that I had been waiting on had come. The ball was snapped, and I was in the end zone. Eli threw the ball to me, and the play was picture perfect. The ball came to me like I was a magnet and it was a piece of metal. As it dropped into my hands, time seemed to stand still for a minute. When my mind caught up with time, I heard the announcer saying, "Touchdown! David Tyree, number 85!"

It was unbelievable! I made the first touchdown of the game for our team. This was too much for me to take at one time. The feeling was overwhelming. With no touchdowns under my belt all year, the Lord used me to put my team in the lead with a score of 10-7. It was the greatest moment of my football career. My touchdown was the big play that my spiritual mother spoke about, I thought. This reminded me of the scripture in Ephesians 3:20 that says God will do more than our mind can imagine. God has done what He promised through the people who prayed for me and encouraged me!

We all knew, though, that this was not the time to have a victory party. Our feelings were confirmed when the Patriots scored another touchdown with approximately two minutes left in the game. We needed a supernatural drive!

Patriots fans began to celebrate what they thought was a sure victory as we began our drive down the field. I knew that the way things were going we were not driving on our own power. It was really supernatural, and even then it seemed like angels were on the football field working on our behalf. To borrow some words from the Bible, the land was being subdued, and the earth was yielding the increase! Interceptions that should have taken place against us did not happen, and plays that did not make sense kept happening. Everyone from superstars on down to rookies made outstanding plays.

With only a few minutes left to drive toward the goal line and my career at an all-time high, something crazy happened!

Eli was about to throw a pass but was bombarded by defensive linemen. They clearly should have sacked him, but he shook off every sack attempt. It was as if he had oil on his jersey—he kept slipping right through the hands of the Patriot defensive players. Off balance and without time to think, with one minute and fifteen seconds left on the clock, he flung a 32-yard pass in my direction.

I was defended by one of the best and most aggressive safeties ever to play the game, Rodney Harrison. If I missed this ball, our team may not have time to recover. The game would be over. Everyone was depending on me, and I could not let them down. All I could think was, "By any means necessary!" Rodney and I struggled to get the ball as I tried to catch it at its highest point. Only a few seconds went by, but in my mind the play seemed to be running in slow motion as I reached up and behind my head to get the catch. Touching the ball with my fingers and pinning it down to my helmet, I was determined to hold on. I could not let it go! With Rodney on me like a Siamese twin, I hit the ground with my back arched in an awkward position. I was tied in a knot with my defender, but I still had the ball. It was a miracle that I was not hurt, considering the way that I landed with the ball.

But the most important thing to me was when I saw the referee signal that the catch was good! The crowd was going nuts!

I did not realize the seriousness of this catch at the time. The only thing that mattered was that my team was in a position to score. I was thinking in my mind, "Come on, Eli, you've kept it together all this time; we need one more play."

It was like Eli heard me and moved forward with the plan. He threw another ball. This time it was in the direction of Plaxico Burress.

Fifty-nine seconds and counting. There was no time for a mistake. This was it! The pass Eli threw to Plaxico and his catch could not have been better executed. The ball floated in the air over Plaxico's head and dropped into his hands—and I lost control of myself. I fell to my knees and began to worship and thank God. My teammates were running on the field, yelling at the top of their voices, "We did it! We did it!" The extra point was good. Game over. Score: Giants 17, Patriots 14!

I could not help but hold my head down to my chest and say, "God, You did it!" I looked into the television set and gave a shout out to my mother in heaven. Then it was time to celebrate the miracle: We had finished our course on the road to victory. The curse of "almost and not enough" was broken. We did not die hard, and I know that what happened was only because of the intervention of God. I took great joy in saying, "God did it, God did it, God did it!"

Taken from More Than Just The Catch, by David Tyree. Click here to buy the book.