Peyton Manning has attempted to play down the importance of his first Super Bowl ahead of Sunday's NFL showpiece.
Indianapolis quarterback Manning said: "Winning the Super Bowl is not a personal mission in any way for me.
"I certainly would have hoped to have been here earlier as a player - we had some chances but it didn't work out.
"That's what we have right now (against the Chicago Bears in Miami), an opportunity, and it's one that we don't want to take for granted."
Manning, 30, is the only player in NFL history with 3,000 passing yards in each of his first nine seasons and says there is plenty more to come.
"I feel that right now I am in the middle of my career," he said. "Each year you learn something new. I am just starting the second half of my career."
Manning will make his 157th straight start in Miami on Sunday, placing him second all-time among quarterbacks behind Green Bay icon Brett Favre.
"I've been watching film of the Bears, and I just watched some on their defence - it's going to be a heck of a challenge for us"
But he is doing his best to treat the big game just like any other.
"I talked to guys who have been (Super Bowl) before and their advice is to try and keep my routine as normal as I can. That is my challenge this week.
"I always treat practice like a game. It is important to prepare that way so when you get into an important game you don't feel overwhelmed."
That extends to maintaining normal relations with his team-mates despite the Super Bowl spotlight being well and truly on him in Miami.
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On arrival in Florida, the first thing he did was go to dinner with his offensive linemen and pick up the tab.
"It is no accident that my locker in Indianapolis and the one here in Miami is in the middle of their five lockers," he said.
"I want to be in the middle of those guys. They do a great job of protecting me."
In many games this season Manning barely got touched as the Colts allowed a league low 15 sacks.
But he said: "I've been watching film of the Bears, and I just watched some on their defence - it's going to be a heck of a challenge for us."
Live updates on Super Bowl XLI on this website from 2315 GMT on Sunday, 4 February, plus live commentary on BBC Radio Five Live.