Jets Lead NFL With Seven Players On Pro Bowl Squad; Titans Follow With Six AFCers, Ravens With Five;17 First-Time Selections On AFC Roster

The New York Jets will lead the American Football Conference’s 2009 Pro Bowl squad with an NFL-high seven players when the AFC takes on the National Football Conference All-Stars, the NFL announced today. Right behind the Jets with the most conference players are the Tennessee Titans with six and the Baltimore Ravens with five.

The Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, February 8, in Honolulu, Hawaii (NBC, 4:30 PM ET).

The Jets’ seven All-Star selections – ALAN FANECA, BRETT FAVRE, KRIS JENKINS, THOMAS JONES, NICK MANGOLD, DARRELLE REVIS and LEON WASHINGTON — are the most in team history and surpass a club-high of five following the 1982, 1985 and 1998 seasons. All seven Jets will make their first Pro Bowl appearances as representatives of New York in Hawaii. The AFC roster includes 17 first-time All-Stars, including Denver Broncos quarterback JAY CUTLER, who leads the AFC with 3,851 yards passing.

Nine-time All-Star PEYTON MANNING of the Indianapolis Colts will be the starting quarterback in his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl. New York Jets quarterback BRETT FAVRE was selected to his 10th All-Star game, but his first representing the AFC. Favre ties JOHNNY UNITAS for most All-Star selections by a quarterback with 10 and he is the first Jets QB to appear in a Pro Bowl since VINNY TESTAVERDE (1998 season). In his third season, Cutler will join veterans Manning and Favre to complete the AFC’s passing attack.

The AFC’s backfield will consist of four first-timers in the Aloha State. New York’s THOMAS JONES earned the starting role at running back. Jones has set the Jets’ season record with 15 touchdowns and leads the AFC with 1,222 rushing yards. At 260 pounds, LE’ RON MC CLAIN has utilized his size by pounding his way to a career-high seven rushing touchdowns this season. The first-time All-Star will be the AFC’s representative at fullback.

Rounding out the threesome at running back will be rookie CHRIS JOHNSON of Tennessee and RONNIE BROWN of Miami. Johnson ranks second in the AFC with 1,159 rushing yards and joins EARL CAMPBELL (1978 season) as the only Oilers/Titans rookie running back to reach the Pro Bowl. A former first-round pick in 2005, Brown is the first Dolphins running back to be named to the Pro Bowl since RICKY WILLIAMS in the 2002 season.

Four receivers are named to each All-Star squad. Chosen for the AFC’s 2009 team are Houston’s ANDRE JOHNSON, who leads the NFL in receptions (103) and receiving yards (1,408). The sixth-year receiver will make his third Pro Bowl appearance. Lined up opposite from Johnson as a starter will be first-time selection BRANDON MARSHALL of Denver. Two veteran receivers will round out the AFC All-Star receiving foursome — Indianapolis wide receiver REGGIE WAYNE and first-timer WES WELKER of New England, who ranks second in the NFL behind Johnson with 102 receptions.

Representing the AFC at tight end will be 10-time All-Star TONY GONZALEZ of the Kansas City Chiefs, who has been selected to the most Pro Bowls at the position in NFL history. In his 12th season, Gonzalez leads NFL tight ends in receptions (84), receiving yards (941) and touchdowns (8). In his sixth season, San Diego’s ANTONIO GATES has been selected to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl.

In his first year with the Jets, 11-year veteran guard ALAN FANECA will make his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl trip and will be joined at the other starting guard position by KRIS DIELMAN of San Diego, who will make his second All-Star game in back-to-back seasons. Kansas City’s BRIAN WATERS, who plays a pivotal role on a young Chiefs offensive line, has been selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl.

In his 15th season, Tennessee’s KEVIN MAWAE will start at center for the AFC in his first Pro Bowl with the Titans and seventh overall. AFC All-Star NICK MANGOLD of the Jets will be making his first Pro Bowl voyage.

Assigned to keep the pocket clean against a talented group of NFC edge rushers are a group of AFC All-Star tackles – two-timers JASON PETERS of Buffalo and JOE THOMAS of Cleveland. Budding talent MICHAEL ROOS of Tennessee will play in his first Pro Bowl.

Plugging the middle for the AFC defensive front are starting interior linemen ALBERT HAYNESWORTH of Tennessee and New York’s KRIS JENKINS. Haynesworth will record his second consecutive start and Jenkins his fourth Pro Bowl berth and first as an AFCer. Accompanying Haynesworth and Jenkins will be Cleveland’s SHAUN ROGERS, who completes a mammoth interior group for the AFC.

A trio of AFC South rushers will be on display at defensive end. MARIO WILLIAMS of Houston will make his Pro Bowl debut as a starter and will be joined by Indianapolis defensive end DWIGHT FREENEY in his fourth Pro Bowl in seven seasons with the Colts. Freeney’s teammate ROBERT MATHIS will cap off this trio with the first All-Star appearance of his six-year career.

Sacks are plentiful for the AFC’s starting outside linebackers – Miami’s JOEY PORTER ranks first in the AFC with 17.5 and JAMES HARRISON of Pittsburgh is second in the conference with 15.0. Porter will make his fourth All-Star appearance and first as a Dolphin, while Harrison settles in with his second consecutive Pro Bowl start. Joining Porter and Harrison at outside linebacker is TERRELL SUGGS, who has 7.5 sacks and two interception-touchdown returns for Baltimore.

Roaming the middle of the AFC defense will be two AFC North linebackers from the NFL’s top-two-ranked defenses — RAY LEWIS of Baltimore and JAMES FARRIOR of Pittsburgh. In his 13th season from Miami, Lewis will start as he makes his ninth appearance in Hawaii. Farrior, the captain of the league’s No. 1 defense will appear in his second All-Star game.

Locking up coverage on the outside will be three first-time All-Stars for the AFC at cornerback. NNAMDI ASOMUGHA of Oakland and CORTLAND FINNEGAN of Tennessee will pair as the starters. Asomugha is the first Raiders cornerback since CHARLES WOODSON in 2001 to earn All-Star status. In his second NFL season, New York cornerback DARRELLE REVIS will make his Pro Bowl debut. Revis is tied for second in the NFL with five interceptions.

Two of the NFL’s elite will start at safety for the AFC. Pittsburgh’s strong safety TROY POLAMALU earns his fifth consecutive AFC All-Star berth and Ravens ball-hawking free safety ED REED is a five-time Pro Bowl choice in seven seasons. First-time Pro Bowl selection CHRIS HOPE of Tennessee will join starting safeties Polamalu and Reed.

The AFC special teams unit is comprised of four players, including two first-time Pro Bowl honorees. New York Jets kick returner LEON WASHINGTON makes his first trip to Hawaii and New England kicker STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI, who leads the AFC with 124 points, will make his All-Star debut. Gostkowski is tied for first in the conference with 30 field goals. Baltimore linebacker BRENDON AYANBADEJO, who leads the Ravens with 26 special teams tackles, will serve as the AFC’s special teamer. Ayanbadejo makes his third consecutive Pro Bowl and his first with the Ravens. Concluding the special teams group will be Oakland’s veteran punter SHANE LECHLER. The four-time All-Star leads the AFC with a 48.8 average and has placed 28 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

The 42-man AFC squad is comprised of 21 offensive and 17 defensive players plus four specialists. A 43rd “need” player will be chosen by the AFC head coach and must be a cornerback, defensive end, linebacker or long snapper. The 2009 AFC coaching staff will be from the AFC Championship Game runner-up team.

The NFL is the only professional sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players in determining its All-Star teams. The consensus vote of each group counts one-third towards the total. Each team submits two ballots – those of the coach and the players with no one permitted to vote for a player on his own team. This year, nearly 85 million fan votes were cast on NFL.com.

The National Conference defeated the American Conference 42-30 last season in the Pro Bowl. The all-time series is tied 19-19.

Under terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each player on the winning Pro Bowl team receives $45,000, while each player on the losing squad earns $22,500.

  

2009 AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

 

AFC-NFC PRO BOWL, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2009, ALOHA STADIUM, HONOLULU, HAWAII

 

(Starters listed in Bold/Italics)

(* First-time Pro Bowl selection)

 

OFFENSE

 

 

DEFENSE

 

 

SPECIALISTS

 

 

 

 

NFC NEWS ‘N’ NOTES

FOR USE AS DESIRED		FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION,
NFC-N-18         12/16/08

 

GIANTS & VIKINGS LEAD NFC WITH SIX PLAYERS APIECE

ON ALL-STAR SQUAD; 14 FIRST-TIME SELECTIONS ON NFC ROSTER

 

The New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings have each placed a conference-high six players on the National Football Conference All-Star team that will face the American Football Conference All-Stars in the 2009 Pro Bowl on Sunday, February 8 in Honolulu, Hawaii (NBC, 4:30 PM ET), the NFL announced today.

 

Fourteen NFC players will participate in their first Pro Bowl, including New York Giants quarterback ELI MANNING, who will join his quarterback brother PEYTON, a nine-time All-Star with the Indianapolis Colts.  The Mannings are the first quarterback brothers to be named to the same Pro Bowl and the fourth set of brothers to be selected in the same season (BRUCE and CLAY MATTHEWS, 1989-90; SHANNON and STERLING SHARPE, 1993-95; RONDE and TIKI BARBER, 2005-07). 

 

Along with Eli Manning, three other Giants will make their Pro Bowl debuts – center SHAUN O’HARA, guard CHRIS SNEE and defensive end JUSTIN TUCK.  They join veteran kicker JOHN CARNEY (second Pro Bowl) and punter JEFF FEAGLES (second).  Carney was an All-Star in 1995 with San Diego and Feagles was selected to the 1996 Pro Bowl with Arizona.  Carney’s 14 seasons between All-Star selections is the longest such period in NFL history. 

 

Minnesota running back ADRIAN PETERSON, who leads the NFL in rushing (1,581 yards), returns to Hawaii after winning the 2008 Pro Bowl MVP award as a rookie.  Joining him are Vikings defensive end JARED ALLEN (second Pro Bowl), guard STEVE HUTCHINSON (sixth), defensive tackles PAT WILLIAMS (third) and KEVIN WILLIAMS (fourth), and cornerback ANTOINE WINFIELD (first). 

 

The starting quarterback for the NFC is four-time All-Star KURT WARNER of the NFC West-champion Arizona Cardinals.  Warner, who was last selected to the 2002 Pro Bowl, returns to the All-Star team after seven seasons, the third-longest such period for a QB since 1970 (RANDALL CUNNINGHAM and PHIL SIMMS, eight years).  Joining Warner at quarterback are three-time All-Star DREW BREES of New Orleans, the leading vote-getter among fans, and Manning of New York.  Brees and Manning’s father, ARCHIE (1979-80), are the only quarterbacks in Saints history to be named to the Pro Bowl. 

 

Starting at running back for the NFC is Peterson, who is the first player to start the Pro Bowl at RB in each of his first two seasons since EDGERRIN JAMES (2000-01).  He is joined by Washington’s CLINTON PORTIS, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, and first-time All-Star MICHAEL TURNER of Atlanta.  Portis, who was previously selected in 2004 with Denver, is the first Redskins’ All-Star at the position since STEPHEN DAVIS in 2001.  Turner, who ranks second in the NFL with 1,421 rushing yards, is the first Falcons running back in the Pro Bowl since WARRICK DUNN in 2006. 

 

Filling out the backfield at fullback is Portis’ Washington teammate MIKE SELLERS, who makes his first Pro Bowl appearance. 

 

The starting wide receivers for the NFC are Arizona’s ANQUAN BOLDIN and LARRY FITZGERALD, both selected for the third time.  Along with QB Warner, this marks the first time in the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl that the starting quarterback and both wide receivers for the All-Star squad are from the same team.  The other receivers for the NFC are Carolina’s STEVE SMITH and Atlanta’s RODDY WHITE.  Smith is making his fourth All-Star appearance and third as a wide receiver.  White, a first-time selection, is the first Falcons wide receiver to go to Hawaii since TERANCE MATHIS in 1995. 

 

Starting at tight end for the NFC is Dallas’ JASON WITTEN, who will play in his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl.  For the second consecutive season, he is joined by Washington’s CHRIS COOLEY, who is the second tight end in Redskins history to be named to multiple Pro Bowls (JERRY SMITH, 1968, 1970). 

 

Minnesota’s Hutchinson makes his sixth consecutive trip to Hawaii and will start at guard along with New York’s Snee.  The Cowboys’ LEONARD DAVIS, who made his Pro Bowl debut last season, rounds out the position. 

 

Dallas’ ANDRE GURODE will start at center, his third consecutive All-Star selection.  The Giants’ O’Hara is the other center for the NFC. 

 

The starting tackles are Seattle’s WALTER JONES, who has been selected to the Pro Bowl a franchise-record nine times, and Carolina’s JORDAN GROSS, a first-time All-Star.  Washington’s CHRIS SAMUELS, making his sixth Pro Bowl appearance, is the NFC’s third tackle. 

 

Four-time All-Star JULIUS PEPPERS of Carolina and the Giants’ Tuck get the start at defensive end for the NFC.  Peppers’ four Pro Bowl appearances are the most by a defensive player in franchise history.  Minnesota’s Allen, who last year played for the AFC All-Star team as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, was also chosen to represent the NFC. 

The starters on the interior defensive line are four-time All-Star Kevin Williams of Minnesota and first-time Pro Bowl selection JAY RATLIFF of Dallas.  Williams’ teammate Pat Williams makes his third Pro Bowl appearance and fills out the position. 

A pair of second-year players will man the inside linebacker position for the NFC.  San Francisco’s PATRICK WILLIS, last year’s Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year, will get the start, his second consecutive All-Star appearance.  He will be joined at the position by Carolina’s JON BEASON, who is making his Pro Bowl debut. 

 

The starting outside linebackers are Chicago’s LANCE BRIGGS and Dallas’ DE MARCUS WARE, the NFL’s sack leader (19.0).  Briggs has been selected to four consecutive Pro Bowls and Ware has been named an All-Star in each of the past three seasons.  Tampa Bay’s DERRICK BROOKS was chosen to the Pro Bowl for the 11th time in his career, the second-most All-Star selections for a linebacker in NFL history (JUNIOR SEAU, 12). 

 

At cornerback, five-time Pro Bowl selection CHARLES WOODSON of Green Bay and Minnesota’s Winfield get the starting nod.  Philadelphia’s ASANTE SAMUEL, who made his Pro Bowl debut last season with New England, will also represent the conference. 

 

The secondary is rounded out with free safeties NICK COLLINS of Green Bay and BRIAN DAWKINS of Philadelphia and strong safety ADRIAN WILSON of Arizona.  Collins, who is making his Pro Bowl debut, and Wilson, playing in his second All-Star Game, will start.  Dawkins has been selected to seven Pro Bowls, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer REGGIE WHITE for the second most in Eagles history.  

 

The special teams duties for the NFC will be handled by two Giants – Carney and Feagles – and two first-time All-Stars.  Tampa Bay rookie CLIFTON SMITH, who aims to become the third player in NFL history to lead the league in both kick-return and punt-return average, will be the return specialist.  Arizona’s SEAN MOREY, who joins former Minnesota tight end STEVE JORDAN (1987-92) as the only players from Brown to earn a Pro Bowl berth, is the special teamer. 

 

The 42-man NFC squad is comprised of 21 offensive and 17 defensive players plus four specialists.  A 43rd “need” player will be chosen by the NFC head coach and must be a cornerback, defensive end, linebacker or long snapper.  The 2009 NFC coaching staff will be from the NFC Championship Game runner-up team.

 

The NFL is the only professional sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players in determining its All-Star teams.  The consensus vote of each group counts one-third towards the total.  Each team submits two ballots – those of the coach and the players with no one permitted to vote for a player on his own team.  This year, nearly 85 million fan votes were cast on NFL.com.

 

The National Conference defeated the American Conference 42-30 last season in the Pro Bowl.  The all-time series is tied 19-19. 

 

Under terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each player on the winning Pro Bowl team receives $45,000, while each player on the losing squad earns $22,500.

 

2009 NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

 

AFC-NFC PRO BOWL, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2009, ALOHA STADIUM, HONOLULU, HAWAII

 

(Starters listed in Bold/Italics)

(* First-time Pro Bowl selection)

 

OFFENSE

 

 

DEFENSE

 

 

SPECIALISTS