JACKSONVILLE, FLA. ? Take that, T.O. Deion Branch managed to outshine Terrell Owens on football’s biggest stage.

And that was no small feat in this Super Bowl.

The leader of New England’s unheralded receiving corps, Branch tied a Super Bowl record with 11 catches, accounting for 133 yards Sunday night in a 24-21 victory over Philadelphia that gave the Patriots their third championship in four years.

“He played unbelievable,” fellow Patriots receiver David Givens said. “He always had it in him, and he’s been doing big things for us all year.”

While Branch didn’t make it to the end zone, he played a role in all four scoring drives. The biggest catch might have been the last one — a leaping 19-yarder over the middle that set up Adam Vinatieri’s 22-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

Branch leaped off the turf and defiantly signaled a first down, the sort of brazen move for which Owens is known. New England pushed its lead to 10 points, enough to hold off the Eagles.

And when it was done, Branch was named the MVP.

“They say big players step up in big games,” Branch said.

Philadelphia’s All-Pro receiver had a remarkable game, too, defying his doctor by playing just 61/2 weeks after surgery. With a metal plate and two screws in his right ankle, Owens somehow had nine catches for 122 yards.

New England's Deion Branch holds up the Vince Lombardi trophy after the Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21, in the Super Bowl. Branch was named Super Bowl MVP on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla.

But Branch was even better, tying the great Jerry Rice (and Cincinnati’s Dan Ross) for catches in a Super Bowl.

While most of the attention was on Owens in the days leading up to the big game, Branch had a nice, quiet week in Jacksonville.

“All the hoopla was about T.O.,” Branch said. “He’s a great player. He really sucked it up tonight. But I want to show I have the same type of talent as those guys.”

Branch came up huge on a tone-setting drive to start the second half, making four catches for 71 yards. Mike Vrabel finished it off with a two-yard touchdown catch, but Branch did most of the heavy lifting.

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In all, eight of his catches — for 106 yards — came on New England’s scoring drives.

Before each game, Branch phones all his ex-coaches — from Little League to high school and on through the college ranks, about a dozen calls in all.

“It’s hard to get everything out,” he said. “I’m crying half the time when I talk to them. But I want them to know that they pushed me to be the player I am. I always want to thank them for giving me their support.”