GLENDALE, Ariz. — Although the buildup to Super Bowl XLIX was enhanced by some of the best-known stars in the National Football League, most of the biggest plays — including the one that sealed the win — were made by a couple of the least-known players in the game here Sunday.

In the end, New England Patriots undrafted rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler closed the door on the defending champion Seattle Seahawks — who were one yard from a go-ahead touchdown — when he intercepted a pass with 20 seconds left to seal the 28-24 victory.

It was the third play in which Butler was involved in Seattle’s final drive.

“He was hot the final moments, no doubt,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “He is a guy who we brought in for a rookie tryout after we had all our drafted players. He did well in training camp. He kept doing what he had to to make the team.”

And, against all odds, he did indeed make the Patriots’ 53-man roster, then made the deciding play in the Super Bowl.

“I was so emotional,” he said of his feelings after the interception. “I had a feeling I was going to make a big play, but not this big.”

It was certainly a heady moment for a guy who just three days earlier was saying, to those few who bothered to listen to him as the bigger stars drew most media attention, how blessed he was just to be in the game.

Butler is the first player to make it to the Super Bowl from the University of West Alabama, where he was a two-time All-Gulf South Conference selection and won two GSC titles while being impressive enough to earn Division II All-America honors.

The stage was set for his unforgettable plays after the Seahawks, who famously pulled out a miracle comeback to beat the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game, appeared poised on the brink of a repeat performance.

First, Butler made an acrobatic, leaping play to break up a deep pass from Wilson to wide receiver Jermaine Kearse. Then he did what should have been enough on another pass to Kearse, who managed to kick, bobble and finally catch a 33-yard pass, putting the ball on the Patriots’ 5-yard line.

On the next play, Lynch barged to the 1 and the stage was set — seemingly for another comeback victory for the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.

Instead, Butler stepped up and gave the Patriots the Lombardi Trophy.

“I knew they were going to throw it,” Butler said of Seattle’s fateful pass. “Our defensive coordinator (Matt Patricia) is real smart and with a goal-line, three cornerback (formation), we knew they were going to throw the ball.

“I saw Wilson looking over there (toward the receivers). He kept his head still and just looked over there, so that gave me a clue, and the stacked receivers. … I just knew they were going to throw. My instincts, I just went with it, just went with my mind and made the play.”

“Unbelievable play by Malcolm,” Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. “We didn’t call a timeout and the clock was winding down and we realized, you know, this is basically it if we stopped them. A championship play.”

Until that shocking finish, another little-known newcomer for the other team seemed to be the game’s most conspicuous young star — if not a candidate for Most Valuable Player honors.

Seattle wide receiver Chris Matthews was working at Foot Locker and as a security guard while playing in the Canadian Football League (Winnipeg Blue Bombers) before the Seahawks signed him in January of 2014.

The Seahawks moved him to the active roster from the practice squad on Dec. 6 and he played in five games with no catches, although he proved he knew how to catch as the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie in 2012, when he had 81 receptions for 1,192 yards and seven touchdowns.

But until Sunday, his receiving stats with the Seahawks were pfft!

And that might also have described the Seattle offense early in the game until he made his first catch as a Seahawk, good for 44 yards to the New England 11 with 4:19 left in the second quarter. Seattle finished that drive with its first score, making it 7-7.

Matthews eventually grabbed four of the five passes thrown his way, including an 11-yard touchdown. But after the game, he wasn’t celebrating his own achievements.

“I’m not ok with any of that,” he said. “I’m not a selfish player. I’m definitely a team player and I don’t care if I don’t even have one pass, one yard, one tackle, it wouldn’t have mattered to me as long as we had won the game and I would have made an influence in any way.

“I would be happy with a win and no stats.”

Youngsters didn’t make all the big plays, of course. Brady completed 37 of 50 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns, including one 22-yarder to tight end Rob Gronkowski late in the second quarter that poked at the Seahawks’ Achilles’ heel. Of the 16 touchdown passes they yielded this season, 11 were to tight ends. That included three by San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates.

The trick, it seems, is to get the great Gronk in man coverage against a linebacker. On this play, Gronkowski was split far to the right, putting linebacker K.J. Wright so far away from the rest of the defense, he could not possibly get help. Gronkowski ran straight up the field and Brady lofted a perfect pass.

“We just called a ‘go,'” Gronkowski said. “Just attacked the defender and gave him a little move and got outside. Tom just made a nice pass and it was a good play.”

Then, even as he stood on the sidelines when Seattle drove to the 1-yard line in the final minute, Gronkowski was as in the game as he could be.

“Just going through my mind, just come on, come on, turnover, turnover, interception, and it happened,” he said. “It’s just unbelievable.”