"This was not the exit of a hero. It was much too quiet and so unnoticed.

As the New Orleans Saints celebrated with "Who Dat" chants into the midnight hour, Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney lowered his head, was helped from an interview podium and carted off to a bus.

The cart had to stop. It took a few moments for people to make a path. Nobody seemed to care to move. He hung his head in disgust. When Freeney finally reached his next ride, he stepped gingerly on his right ankle, an injury the NFL world made such a fuss about the past two weeks, the one with a ligament tear. It hurt.

The Pro Bowl pass rusher had done what he could to inspire his team. He had a one-handed sack of Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees, a 7-yard loss in the second quarter that represented his only tackle. The speed guy just bull-rushed his way past overmatched left tackle Jermon Bushrod, got Brees with his left hand and yanked the quarterback down like a rag doll."