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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Mannings selected to Pro Bowl

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

The Colts' Peyton Manning, left, will make his ninth appearance in the Pro Bowl, while brother Eli of the Giants will play in his first.

STEPHEN CHERNIN | Associated Press

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

2009 Pro bowl

WHEN: Feb. 8, 2009 WHERE: Aloha Stadium TV: 11:30 a.m., NBC TICKETS: $45-$125 TICKET INFO: 486-9300.

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NEW YORK — Peyton and Eli Manning were voted to the Pro Bowl yesterday, the first time quarterback-playing brothers have been chosen for the same all-star game.

Indianapolis' Peyton Manning will make his ninth appearance in 11 seasons and will start for the AFC. It will be the first appearance for Eli Manning, who was the MVP for the New York Giants in last February's Super Bowl. He will be on the NFC team.

The Giants also landed the oldest Pro Bowler ever, 44-year-old kicker John Carney, who was signed at the start of the season as a short-term fill-in for the injured Lawrence Tynes. He has made 27 of 29 field goals — the two he missed were blocked — and has kept the now-recovered Tynes inactive for all but two games.

The New York Jets led all teams with seven Pro Bowlers, including quarterback Brett Favre, who will be in his 10th Pro Bowl, but his first representing the AFC. There will be six each from the Giants, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans in the Feb. 8 game in Hawai'i.

The Titans have the NFL's best record at 12-2 and won their first 10 games before losing to the Jets.

"If we were the Dallas Cowboys, it would easily be 12 of us going to the Pro Bowl," said one of Tennessee's Pro Bowlers, safety Chris Hope. "A lot of people say it's a small market or we haven't been around long enough to gain the recognition like the other teams.

"Where a team like the Dallas Cowboys has a great season, they send half their team," Hope said. "We have the best record in the league. Only a few of us get recognized and only a few of us get to go. It's just a blessing to be one of the ones to have the opportunity, but I still think there's some guys that didn't get a chance to go."

On the other hand, Pittsburgh had only three: linebackers James Farrior and James Harrison and safety Troy Polamalu. The Steelers (11-3) are a game behind the Titans and can take the lead for home-field advantage in the AFC with a win in Tennessee Sunday.

While Peyton Manning will start for the AFC, the starting quarterback for the NFC will be Kurt Warner, who led the Arizona Cardinals to the NFC West title. It will be the 37-year-old Warner's fourth Pro Bowl but his first since 2001, when he was with St. Louis and made it for the third straight season.

With Warner on the NFC squad are the Cardinals' two starting wide receivers, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, both voted in as starters.

"What I felt coming in was that I could play the quarterback position for this team as well as anybody in the league," said Warner, who came to camp as the backup to third-year man Matt Leinart. "Whether that means going to a Pro Bowl or having certain stats, I never really had that perspective. I just had the perspective that I felt like I could really play this game as well as I ever have. And I felt like I've done that this year."

Warner and the 39-year-old Favre, who leads the NFL in interceptions with 17, are far from the oldest Pro Bowlers this year.

Those honors go to Carney and 42-year-old Giants punter Jeff Feagles. Carney is two years older than another former Pro Bowl kicker, Jan Stenerud, who was 42 when he made it in 1984. Stenerud is the only kicker in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The AFC roster contains 17 first-time all-stars and the NFC roster contains 14. One of the AFC's first-timers was Texans defensive end Mario Williams, the first overall pick in the 2006 draft ahead of Reggie Bush and Vince Young, a choice criticized both in Houston and around the NFL.

"It feels great to finally get in there and see what it's like. It's just an honor," Williams said.

Four teams had no representatives: Cincinnati and Jacksonville in the AFC, St. Louis and winless Detroit in the NFC.

PRO BOWL ROSTER

Sunday, Feb. 8

At Honolulu, Aloha Stadium, 11:30 a.m.

(s-starter)

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

OFFENSE

Wide Receivers — s-Andre Johnson, Houston; s-Brandon Marshall, Denver; Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis; Wes Welker, New England.

Tackles — s-Jason Peters, Buffalo; s-Joe Thomas, Cleveland; Michael Roos, Tennessee.

Guards — s-Kris Dielman, San Diego; s-Alan Faneca, New York; Brian Waters, Kansas City.

Centers — s-Kevin Mawae, Tennessee; Nick Mangold, New York.

Tight Ends — s-Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City; Antonio Gates, San Diego.

Quarterbacks — s-Peyton Manning, Indianapolis; Jay Cutler, Denver; Brett Favre, New York.

Running Backs — s-Thomas Jones, New York; Ronnie Brown, Miami; Chris Johnson, Tennessee.

Fullback — s-Le'Ron McClain, Baltimore.

DEFENSE

Ends — s-Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis; s-Mario Williams, Houston; Robert Mathis, Indianapolis.

Interior Linemen — s-Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee; s-Kris Jenkins, New York; Shaun Rogers, Cleveland.

Outside Linebackers — s-James Harrison, Pittsburgh; s-Joey Porter, Miami; Terrell Suggs, Baltimore.

Inside Linebackers — s-Ray Lewis, Baltimore; James Farrior, Pittsburgh.

Cornerbacks — s-Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland; s-Cortland Finnegan, Tennessee; Darrelle Revis, New York.

Free Safety — s-Ed Reed, Baltimore.

Strong Safeties — s-Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh; Chris Hope, Tennessee.

SPECIALISTS

Punter — Shane Lechler, Oakland.

Placekicker — Stephen Gostkowski, New England.

Kick Return Specialist — Leon Washington, New York.

Special Teamer — Brendon Ayanbadejo, Baltimore.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

OFFENSE

Wide Receivers — s-Anquan Boldin, Arizona; s-Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona; Steve Smith, Carolina; Roddy White, Atlanta.

Tackles — s-Jordan Gross, Carolina; s-Walter Jones,

Seattle; Chris Samuels, Washington.

Guards — s-Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota; s-Chris Snee, New York; Leonard Davis, Dallas.

Centers — s-Andre Gurode, Dallas; Shaun O'Hara, New York.

Tight Ends — s-Jason Witten, Dallas; Chris Cooley, Washington.

Quarterbacks — s-Kurt Warner, Arizona; Drew Brees, New Orleans; Eli Manning, New York.

Running Backs — s-Adrian Peterson, Minnesota; Clinton Portis, Washington; Michael Turner, Atlanta.

Fullback — s-Mike Sellers, Washington.

DEFENSE

Ends — s-Julius Peppers, Carolina; s-Justin Tuck, New York; Jared Allen, Minnesota.

Interior Linemen — s-Jay Ratliff, Dallas; s-Kevin Williams, Minnesota; Pat Williams, Minnesota.

Outside Linebackers — s-Lance Briggs, Chicago; s-DeMarcus Ware, Dallas; Derrick Brooks, Tampa Bay.

Inside Linebackers — s-Patrick Willis, San Francisco; Jon Beason, Carolina.

Cornerbacks — s-Antoine Winfield, Minnesota; s-Charles Woodson, Green Bay; Asante Samuel, Philadelphia.

Strong Safety — s-Adrian Wilson, Arizona.

Free Safeties — s-Nick Collins, Green Bay; Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia.

SPECIALISTS

Punter — Jeff Feagles, New York.

Placekicker — John Carney, New York.

Kick Return Specialist — Clifton Smith, Tampa Bay.

Special Teamer — Sean Morey, Arizona.