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NFL Pro Bowl Rosters Feature
24 Former Senior Bowlers
Rosters include
future Hall of Famers and many of the league’s top statistical
performers and help confirm the Under Armour Senior Bowl as the nation’s
premier showcase of future NFL stars.
 MOBILE, Ala. (December
19, 2007) --
The Under Armour Senior Bowl is THE showcase of future NFL stars.
For proof, all you have to do is check out
the rosters for the 2008 NFL Pro Bowl announced earlier this week.
A total of 24 former Senior Bowl players
were named to this year’s AFC and NFC Pro Bowl rosters, a list that
includes future Pro Football Hall Famers and an impressive array of the
NFL’s premier players who once displayed their talents in Mobile during
Senior Bowl Week.
The rosters feature perennial selections
such as nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Brett Favre of the Packers,
statistical leaders such as running back Brian Westbrook of the Eagles,
whose 1,896 all-purpose yards leads the NFL, and rookie sensations such
as San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, whose 142 total
tackles leads all NFL defenders.
Green Bay Packers quarterback
Brett Favre
One of the NFL’s premier players of
all-time, Favre has enjoyed a banner 2007 season, passing for an NFC-leading
3,905 yards and 26 touchdowns, setting NFL career marks for touchdown
passes and passing yardage in the process. A 1991 Senior Bowler from
Southern Miss, he has also led the Packers to a 12-2 regular season and
division championship, and was named the 2007 Sports Illustrated
Sportsman of the Year.
The game’s best all-purpose back in 2007,
Westbrook has rushed for 1,191 yards and also caught an amazing 83
passes for 705 yards and five scores to earn his second Pro Bowl nod.
Philadelphia Eagles running back
Brian Westbrook
In addition to Westbrook, other former
Senior Bowl running backs named to the squad include San Diego’s
LaDainian Tomlinson, the 2007 NFL MVP and MVP of the 2001 Senior Bowl,
who has rushed for 1,311 yards which ranks second in the AFC; and
Minnesota fullback Tony Richardson, a three-time Pro Bowler and former
Auburn star who played in the 1994 Senior Bowl.
A pair of highly-productive pass receivers
are also included in the group. Dallas’ Terrell Owens, whose 1,307
receiving yards leads the NFC and his 17.2 yards per catch average is
tops in the NFL, is joined by Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts,
who has become the favored target of quarterback Peyton Manning, hauling
in 82 passes for 1,280 yards and nine touchdowns to earn his second
straight Pro Bowl team.
San Francisco 49ers linebacker
Patrick Willis
One of the biggest success stories of
Senior Bowl 2007 was undoubtedly Willis, who spent Senior Bowl Week
being coached by a San Francisco 49ers organization that ultimately
selected him with the 11th overall pick in the first-round of the draft.
The former Ole Miss star also leads the
league with 111 solo stops – 23 more than any other player in the NFL –
and has posted double-digit tackle totals in eight games.
Willis is joined in the Pro Bowl by four
other linebackers who also played in the Senior Bowl. Heading that list
are perennial picks Lance Briggs of the Bears and Julian Peterson of the
Seahawks, second-time honoree DeMarcus Ware of the Cowboys and former
Alabama linebacker DeMeco Ryans of the Texans, a first-time selection
whose 121 total tackles leads the AFC.
San Diego Chargers running back
LaDainian Tomlinson
Six offensive linemen from previous Senior
Bowls made the club, including a trio of New England Patriots – Matt
Light, Logan Mankins and Dan Koppen. The others are Flozell Adams and
Andre Gurode of the Cowboys, and five-time Pro Bowl pick Steve
Hutchinson of the Vikings.
Three defensive linemen who are Senior
Bowl grads made the team, led by Dolphins’ outstanding defensive end
Jason Taylor, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and six-time
selection. He’s joined by first-time honoree Kyle Vanden Bosch of the
Titans, who has nine sacks, and Minnesota Vikings’ defensive tackle
Kevin Williams, a Pro Bowler for the third time in five seasons.
Two more Senior Bowl alums are in the
secondary – cornerback Marcus Trufant of the Seahawks, who is second in
the NFL with seven interceptions, and Colts’ safety Bob Sanders, who
made his second Pro Bowl squad.
Chicago Bears linebacker
Lance Briggs
Another rookie, kicker Nick Folk of the
Cowboys, made the team, as he has hit on 22 of 26 field goal attempts
which include a perfect 6-6 from 40-49 yards.
In addition to this year’s Pro Bowl
honorees, over 575 former Senior Bowl players are currently active in
the NFL.
The next showcase of future NFL stars is
scheduled for Saturday, January 26, 2008, when the 59th annual Under
Armour Senior Bowl will take place in Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Indianapolis Colts running back
Joseph Addai
The contest will kickoff at 3:00 p.m. and
the game will be nationally televised by the NFL Network.
Tickets to the contest are currently on
sale at all area Food World stores, selected Regions Bank branches, by
calling 251-432-4109 or by accessing the bowl’s website at
www.seniorbowl.com.
Under Armour Senior Bowlers in the 2008
NFL Pro Bowl
(Name, Position, NFL Team, College, Year in Senior Bowl)
AFC:
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LaDainian Tomlinson,
RB, San Diego – TCU, 2001
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Joseph Addai, RB,
Indianapolis – LSU, 2006
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Reggie Wayne, WR,
Indianapolis – Miami, 2001
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Matt Light, OL, New
England – Purdue, 2001
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Logan Mankins, OL, New
England – Fresno State, 2005
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Dan Koppen, OL, New
England – Boston College, 2003
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Kyle Vanden Bosch, DL,
Tennessee – Nebraska, 2001
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Jason Taylor, DL,
Miami – Akron, 1997
-
DeMeco Ryans, LB,
Houston – Alabama, 2006
-
Bob Sanders, DB,
Indianapolis – Iowa, 2004
NFC:
-
Brett Favre, QB, Green
Bay – Southern Miss, 1991
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Brian Westbrook, RB,
Philadelphia – Villanova, 2002
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Tony Richardson, FB,
Minnesota – Auburn, 1994
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Terrell Owens, WR,
Dallas – UT-Chattanooga, 1996
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Flozell Adams, OL,
Dallas – Michigan State, 1998
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Andre Gurode, OL,
Dallas – Colorado, 2002
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Steve Hutchinson, OL,
Minnesota – Michigan, 2001
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Kevin Williams, DL,
Minnesota – Oklahoma State, 2003
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Patrick Willis, LB,
San Francisco – Ole Miss, 2007
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Lance Briggs, LB,
Chicago – Arizona, 2003
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Julian Peterson, LB,
Seattle – Michigan State, 2000
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DeMarcus Ware, LB,
Dallas – Troy, 2005
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Marcus Trufant, DB,
Seattle – Washington State, 2003
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Nick Folk, K, Dallas –
Arizona, 2007
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