Five Chiefs will take the field for the 2011 NFL Pro Bowl this evening inside Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium. Of Kansas City’s five Pro Bowlers, four are experiencing Hawaii’s all-star atmosphere for the first time of their professional careers.
New England (8) is the only AFC squad with greater Pro Bowl representation than Kansas City.
“It was a great year for the Kansas City Chiefs as a whole,” Cassel said in a fan chat on NFL.com. “We came together in so many different ways. Our success is the reason why myself and my teammates are recognized here at the Pro Bowl.”
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 100 million fan votes were cast on NFL.com, on wireless phones and on Facebook.
The 43-man teams are comprised of 21 offensive and 17 defensive players plus five specialists, including a long snapper.
For Charles, reaching the NFL’s version of the All-Star Game was a goal he set as a young athlete. He notched his first Pro Bowl selection after finishing second in the NFL in rushing (1,467) and yards from scrimmage (1,935).
“I watched it (growing up) and I wanted to be here,” Charles told the Honolulu Star Advertiser. “I watched other people and wondered, ‘why can’t I be up in there? All it takes is hard work.’ I go out there and prepare myself in the offseason and work hard to be here.
“It’s a trip and a beautiful place. I’m loving every bit of it.”
The league also extended
The game will officially kick off Super Bowl Week, airing at 6:00 PM (CST) on FOX.
Here are a few things to watch once tonight’s game kicks off:
The last Chiefs player to…
Throw a TD pass in the Pro Bowl: Trent Green (2003 season)
Score a TD in the Pro Bowl: Tony Gonzalez (2008 season)
Catch a TD pass in the Pro Bowl: Tony Gonzalez (2008 season)
Rush for a TD in the Pro Bowl: Trent Green (2005 season)
Record a tackle in the Pro Bowl: Jared Allen (2007 season)
Attempt a Pro Bowl pass: Trent Green (2005 season)
Log a Pro Bowl rushing attempt: Larry Johnson (2006 season)
Return a Pro Bowl punt or kickoff: Dante Hall (2003 season)
*No Chiefs player has recorded a Pro Bowl sack or takeaway dating back to 2000.
Chiefs Pro Bowlers Since 2000
2000 (3): TE Tony Gonzalez, QB Elvis Grbac, G Will Shields
2001 (3): TE Tony Gonzalez, RB Priest Holmes, G Will Shields
2002 (5): TE Tony Gonzalez, KR Dante Hall, RB Priest Holmes, T Willie Roaf, G Will Shields
*2003 (9): TE Tony Gonzalez, QB Trent Green, KR Dante Hall, RB Priest Holmes, FB Tony Richardson, T Willie Roaf, G Will Shields, ST Gary Stills, S Jerome Woods
2004 (6): LS Kendall Gammon, TE Tony Gonzalez, FB Tony Richardson, T Willie Roaf, G Will Shields, G Brian Waters
2005 (6): TE Tony Gonzalez, QB Trent Green, RB Larry Johnson, T Willie Roaf, G Will Shields, G Brian Waters
*2006 (4): TE Tony Gonzalez, RB Larry Johnson, G Will Shields, G Brian Waters
2007 (2): DE Jared Allen, TE Tony Gonzalez
2008 (2): TE Tony Gonzalez, G Brian Waters
2009 (0): None
*2010 (5): S Eric Berry, WR Dwayne Bowe, QB Matt Cassel, RB Jamaal Charles, G Brian Waters
*indicates playoff team
Chiefs Pro Bowlers on Division Champion Teams (Post NFL Merger)
1971 (11): LB Bobby Bell, DT Buck Buchanan, G Ed Budde, DT Curley Culp, QB Len Dawson, MLB Willie Lanier, K Kan Stenerud, WR Otis Taylor, CB Emmitt Thomas, T Jim Tyrer, P Jerrel Wilson
1993 (5): RB Marcus Allen, T John Alt, QB Joe Montana, DE Neil Smith, LB Derrick Thomas
1995 (7): FB Kimble Anders, QB Steve Bono, CB Dale Carter, DT Dan Saleaumua, G Will Shields, DE Neil Smith, LB Derrick Thomas
1997 (6): FB Kimble Anders, CB Dale Carter, CB James Hasty, WR Andre Rison, G Will Shields, LB Derrick Thomas
2003 (9): TE Tony Gonzalez, QB Trent Green, KR Dante Hall, RB Priest Holmes, FB Tony Richardson, T Willie Roaf, G Will Shields, ST Gary Stills, S Jerome Woods
2010 (5): S Eric Berry, WR Dwayne Bowe, QB Matt Cassel, RB Jamaal Charles, G Brian Waters
