MIAMI, Fla. -- They are among the best of the best in America's favorite sport.
Eighty-six NFL All-Stars will descend on South Florida this week when, for the first time, the 2010 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl will serve as the signature event to kick off Super Bowl week.
The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, January 31 at Sun Life Stadium in South Florida at 6:20 p.m., CT on ESPN. It will be only the second time the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl have been played in the same city. The Pro Bowl in 1967 was played in the Los Angeles Coliseum the week after Super Bowl I.
"You almost treat the Pro Bowl like a Super Bowl and try to soak it all in and say, 'This may be the only one I get to,'" says New York Giants C SHAUN O'HARA. "I'm excited about it."
More than 70,000 fans – the most for the Pro Bowl in 50 years – will be on hand to see the 2010 contest for NFL All-Star supremacy. The NFC has won three of the past four contests to take a 20-19 lead in the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl (since 1971).
THE LARGEST CROWDS IN PRO BOWL HISTORY
72,250 (1/11/59) LA Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA)
67,242 (1/12/64) LA Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA)
66,918 (1/20/74) Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO)
66,634 (1/12/58) LA Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA)
64,752 (1/17/77) Kingdome (Seattle, WA)
62,971 (1/15/61) LA Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA)
61,374 (1/13/63) LA Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA)
60,598 (1/10/65) LA Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA)
60,124 (1/15/66) LA Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA)
All-Stars from the Super Bowl competing teams will not participate in the Pro Bowl, but they will attend the game and be honored as part of the pregame festivities.
The ESPN telecast will take you inside the game in unique ways, featuring several players and coaches miked for sound.
In addition, the first mainland Pro Bowl in 30 years – the game has been played in Honolulu each year since 1980 – will feature the NFL Play 60 Community Blitz. On Thursday, January 28, the first-ever "Blitz" in celebration of the Pro Bowl and community service promises to be the largest community program in league history. NFL Pro Bowl players, joined by Commissioner Roger Goodell, will construct a customized playground at the RISE Academy School of Science and Technology as one of the three "Blitz" events to take place in South Florida.
The Pro Bowl will feature:
• Minnesota Vikings RB ADRIAN PETERSON is tied for the most career Pro Bowl rushing touchdowns with three (EARL CAMPBELL,CHUCK MUNCIE,MIKE ALSTOTT).
• Green Bay Packers rookie LB CLAY MATTHEWS, son of four-time All Star CLAY MATTHEWS will join six other father-son duos to participate in the Pro Bowl since 1970.
FATHER SON DUOS IN PRO BOWL SINCE 1970
Bob Griese/Brian Griese
Archie Manning/Peyton Manning & Eli Manning
Ernie McMillan/Erik McMillan
Terry Metcalf/Eric Metcalf
Mosi Tatupu/Lofa Tatupu
Kellen Winslow/Kellen Winslow
Clay Matthews/Clay Matthews
• Denver Broncos CB CHAMP BAILEY (nine selections) has four career Pro Bowl interceptions, tied for the most in NFL history (DEION SANDERS,EVERSON WALLS).
• Offensive Player of the Year CHRIS JOHNSON from the Tennessee Titans became the sixth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards (2,006) in a season. He also set the single-season scrimmage yards record (2,509).
• Washington Redskins rookie LB BRIAN ORAKPO led all rookies with 11 sacks in 2009. "This is a tremendous honor and a wonderful surprise," says Orakpo of his Pro Bowl selection.
• Cincinnati Bengals WR CHAD OCHOCINCO had the second-most receiving yards (156) and the second-longest receiving touchdown (90 yards) in a single game in Pro Bowl history during the 2004 Pro Bowl.
The next two Pro Bowl games will return to Honolulu, where the game was played from 1980 through 2009. A decision on whether the next Pro Bowl will be played the week before or after the Super Bowl will be made following an evaluation of this year's game.
