HEADING TO HAWAII
By Andrea de Vera
OnlineTickets.com
HONOLULU – The voters have spoken, and it’s time to find out which NFL stars are headed to the 2008 Pro Bowl and whose notable names were left off of the roster this year.
Some of the NFL’s best and brightest stars have passed, rushed, blocked, sacked, tackled, and scored their way to the 2008 Pro Bowl – the NFL’s annual all-star game to be held on February 10, 2008, inside Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium.
As far as the Pro Bowl selections go, there were the obvious nods to top-tier teams, including “America’s Team” Dallas Cowboys with 11 Pro-Bowl-bound players, along with the undefeated New England Patriots and surging San Diego Chargers sending eight players apiece.
However, there were some glaring oversights as players deserving of Pro Bowl recognition found that it just wasn’t meant to be (this year, at least). We break it down as far as who’s in for the AFC, the NFC, along with notable Pro-Bowl snubs.
AFC Starters
Offense: QB Tom Brady; backfield LaDainian Tomlinson and FB Lorenzo Neal; wideouts Randy Moss and Reggie Wayne; TE Antonio Gates; tackles Matt Light and Jason Peters; guards Alan Faneca and Logan Mankins; and center Jeff Saturday
Defense: Defensive ends Jared Allen and Kyle Vanden Bosch; defensive tackles Albert Haynesworth and Vince Wilfork; outside linebackers James Harrison and Mike Vrabel; inside linebacker Demeco Ryans; cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Asante Samuel; FS Ed Reed; and SS Bob Sanders
Special Teams: Shane Lechler (punter), Rob Bironas (placekicker), Josh Cribbs (kick returner), and Kassim Osgood (special teamer)
Notable AFC Reserves: Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Joseph Addai, Willie Parker, Braylon Edwards, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Tony Gonzalez, Jason Taylor, Jamal Williams, Shawne Merriman, Ray Lewis, Antonio Cromartie, Troy Polamalu
Notable AFC Snubs: DE Mario Williams’ (Houston Texans) 13.0 sacks is second in the NFL only to Patrick Kerney (Seattle Seahawks) with 13.5, while WR Wes Welker (New England Patriots) has helped to spur the Pats’ passing success and racked up over 1,000 receiving yards to boot. Interestingly, the entire Jacksonville Jaguars team (10-4) – notably RB Fred Taylor, who has rushed for 100 yards in four games straight – were left off the roster as well.
NFC Starters
Offense: QB Brett Favre; backfield Adrian Peterson and Tony Richardson; wideouts Larry Fitzgerald and Terrell Owens; TE Jason Witten; tackles Flozell Adams and Walter Jones; guards Leonard Davis and Steve Hutchinson; and center Andre Gurode
Defense: Defensive ends Aaron Kampman and Patrick Kerney; defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams; outside linebackers Julian Peterson and DeMarcus Ware; inside linebacker Lofa Tatupu; cornerbacks Al Harris and Marcus Trufant; FS Sean Taylor; and SS Darren Sharper
Special Teams: Andy Lee (punter), Nick Folk (placekicker), Devin Hester (kick returner), and Brendon Avanbadejo (special teamer)
Notable NFC Reserves: Matt Hasselbeck, Tony Romo, Marion Barber, Brian Westbrook, Donald Driver, Chris Cooley, Chris Samuels, Osi Umenyiora, Tommie Harris, Lance Briggs, Patrick Willis, Terence Newman, and Ken Hamlin
Notable NFC Snubs: WR Marques Colston is one of the top wide outs in the NFC with 87 receptions for 1,092 yards and nine TDs. The entire Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad (9-5), winners of the NFC South title this season, unfortunately won’t be represented at the 2008 Pro Bowl.
While some NFL stars and legitimate stars-on-the-rise may not have made the cut this year, the 2008 Pro Bowl boasts some of the greatest talents to take the gridiron – all in one place! For plenty of high-flying, hard-hitting NFL All-Star action, order NFL 2008 Pro Bowl tickets from OnlineTickets.com today!
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