NFL Pro Bowl 2012: Game Preview

Official NFL Release

NFL STARS TAKE CENTER STAGE AS 2012 PRO BOWL

KICKS OFF SUPER BOWL WEEK

The NFL's best will be in the spotlight on Sunday, January 29 (7:00 PM ET, NBC) as the 2012 Pro Bowl kicks off Super Bowl Week.

The NFL All-Star Game will take place once again at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii and will be the signature event to start the week leading up to Super Bowl XLVI between the New England Patriots and New York Giants in Indianapolis (Sunday, February 5, NBC).

"Being selected to represent the NFC team in the Pro Bowl is a tremendous honor," says New Orleans Saints tight end JIMMY GRAHAM. "I think any guy who gets named to the Pro Bowl realizes that it's a heck of a compliment and I am grateful and humbled by it."

For the third consecutive year, the Pro Bowl will be played the week before the Super Bowl. The 2011 Pro Bowl on FOX was watched by an average of 13.4 million viewers, the most for a Pro Bowl since 1997 (13.5 million viewers), making it the most-watched All-Star game of any sport since 2009.

Last year, the NFC tied a single-game Pro Bowl scoring record by defeating the AFC 55-41 (the NFC also scored 55 points in 2004). Washington Redskins cornerback DE ANGELO HALL was named the MVP of the 2011 Pro Bowl, notching an interception, returning a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown and posting six solo tackles. The 2012 game is the 42nd between the AFC and NFC All-Stars with the NFC holding a slight edge in the all-time series, 21-20.

The 43-man teams are comprised of 21 offensive and 17 defensive players plus five specialists, including a long snapper. The AFC All-Star team will be led by GARY KUBIAK and the coaches from the Houston Texans while MIKE

MC CARTHY and the Green Bay Packers' coaching staff will guide the NFC Pro Bowl squad.

The San Francisco 49ers lead the NFL with nine players selected to the 2012 Pro Bowl - kicker DAVID AKERS, safety DASHON GOLDSON, running back FRANK GORE, punter ANDY LEE, long snapper BRIAN JENNINGS, cornerback CARLOS ROGERS, defensive end JUSTIN SMITH, tackle JOE STALEY and linebacker PATRICK WILLIS.

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, over 100 million fan votes were cast on NFL.com and mobile devices.

Under terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each player on the winning Pro Bowl team receives $50,000, while each player on the losing squad earns $25,000.

The Pro Bowl was held consecutively from 1980 to 2009 at Honolulu's Aloha Stadium, moved to Sun Life Stadium in South Florida in 2010 and then returned to Hawaii in 2011.

Fans can purchase tickets to the 2012 Pro Bowl at www.NFL.com/probowl or www.ticketmaster.com.

2012 AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

(Starters listed in Bold)

(Non-participating players listed in Italics)

(* Replacing non-participating player)

(+ Need player selected by head coach)

OFFENSE

	WIDE RECEIVERS			TIGHT ENDS
	A.J. Green, Cincinnati			Antonio Gates, San Diego
*	Vincent Jackson, San Diego		*	Jermaine Gresham, Cincinnati
	Brandon Marshall, Miami			Rob Gronkowski, New England
	Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh
	Wes Welker, New England			QUARTERBACKS
				Tom Brady, New England
	TACKLES		*	Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
*	Ryan Clady, Denver			Philip Rivers, San Diego
	D'Brickashaw Ferguson, New York Jets			Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
	Jake Long, Miami
	Joe Thomas, Cleveland			RUNNING BACKS
				Arian Foster, Houston
	GUARDS			Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
*	Ben Grubbs, Baltimore		*	Ryan Mathews, San Diego
	Logan Mankins, New England		*	Willis McGahee, Denver
*	Brandon Moore, New York Jets			Ray Rice, Baltimore
	Brian Waters, New England
	Marshal Yanda, Baltimore			FULLBACK
				Vonta Leach, Baltimore
	CENTERS
	Nick Mangold, New York Jets
*	Chris Myers, Houston
	Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh

DEFENSE

	ENDS			INSIDE/MIDDLE LINEBACKERS
	Andre Carter, New England			Ray Lewis, Baltimore
	Elvis Dumervil, Denver			Derrick Johnson, Kansas City
	Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis
*	Antonio Smith, Houston			CORNERBACKS
				Champ Bailey, Denver
	INTERIOR LINEMAN			Johnathan Joseph, Houston
*	Geno Atkins, Cincinnati			Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
	Haloti Ngata, Baltimore
	Richard Seymour, Oakland			STRONG SAFETY
	Vince Wilfork, New England		*	Brian Dawkins, Denver
				Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh
	OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
	Tamba Hali, Kansas City			FREE SAFTIES
	James Harrison, Pittsburgh			Ed Reed, Baltimore
	Von Miller, Denver			Eric Weddle, San Diego
	Terrell Suggs, Baltimore

SPECIALISTS

	PUNTER			KICK RETURN SPECIALIST
	Shane Lechler, Oakland			Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
	PLACEKICKER			SPECIAL TEAMER
	Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland		*	Montell Owens, Jacksonville
				Matthew Slater, New England
	LONG SNAPPER
+	Jon Condo, Oakland

2012 NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

(Starters listed in Bold)

(Non-participating players listed in Italics)

(* Replacing non-participating player)

(+ Need player selected by head coach)

OFFENSE

	WIDE RECEIVERS			TIGHT ENDS
	Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona			Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta
	Greg Jennings, Green Bay			Jimmy Graham, New Orleans
	Calvin Johnson, Detroit
	Steve Smith, Carolina			QUARTERBACKS
*	Roddy White, Atlanta			Drew Brees, New Orleans
				Eli Manning, New York Giants
	TACKLES		*	Cam Newton, Carolina
	Jermon Bushrod, New Orleans			Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
	Jason Peters, Philadelphia
	Joe Staley, San Francisco			RUNNING BACKS
				Matt Forté, Chicago
	GUARDS			Frank Gore, San Francisco
	Jahri Evans, New Orleans			LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
	Davin Joseph, Tampa Bay
	Carl Nicks, New Orleans			FULLBACK
				John Kuhn, Green Bay
	CENTERS		*	Michael Robinson, Seattle
	Ryan Kalil, Carolina
	Scott Wells, Green Bay

DEFENSE

	DEFENSIVE ENDS			INSIDE/MIDDLE LINEBACKERS
	Jared Allen, Minnesota		*	London Fletcher, Washington
	Jason Babin, Philadelphia			Brian Urlacher, Chicago
	Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants			Patrick Willis, San Francisco
*	Julius Peppers, Chicago
				CORNERBACKS
	INTERIOR LINEMEN		*	Brandon Browner, Seattle
	B.J. Raji, Green Bay			Carlos Rogers, San Francisco
	Jay Ratliff, Dallas			Charles Tillman, Chicago
	Justin Smith, San Francisco			Charles Woodson, Green Bay
	OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS			STRONG SAFETY
	Lance Briggs, Chicago			Adrian Wilson, Arizona
*	Chad Greenway, Minnesota
	Clay Matthews, Green Bay			FREE SAFTIES
	DeMarcus Ware, Dallas		*	Kam Chancellor, Seattle
				Dashon Goldson, San Francisco
				Earl Thomas, Seattle

SPECIALISTS

	PUNTER			KICK RETURN SPECIALIST
	Andy Lee, San Francisco			Patrick Peterson, Arizona
	PLACEKICKER			SPECIAL TEAMER
	David Akers, San Francisco			Corey Graham, Chicago
	LONG SNAPPER
+	Brian Jennings, San Francisco

WHAT TO LOOK FOR - 2012 PRO BOWL

HIGH SCORE: It has been a banner year for offenses across the National Football League, thanks in part to high-flying passing attacks led by some of the game's best quarterbacks. The 2012 NFC Pro Bowl roster will feature two record-setting QBs - Green Bay's AARON RODGERSled the NFL with a 122.5 passer rating, a single-season NFL best, while New Orleans' DREW BREES' 5,476 passing yards surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO's record for passing yards in a season.

The 2012 Pro Bowl will also be the first in series history to feature two rookie quarterbacks, CAM NEWTON of Carolina (NFC) and ANDY DALTON of Cincinnati (AFC).

Other quarterbacks taking part in the game include BEN ROETHLISBERGER of Pittsburgh, who will get the starting nod for the AFC, andPHILIP RIVERS of San Diego, who became the third quarterback in NFL history to pass for 4,000+ yards in four consecutive seasons (Brees,PEYTON MANNING).

High scores have been a recent trend at the Pro Bowl. In fact, the eight highest combined scores in Pro Bowl history have all occurred since 2000, including 96 points last year, the second-highest in Pro Bowl history.

The highest combined scores in Pro Bowl history:

YEAR	WINNER (PTS.)	LOSER (PTS.)	TOTAL POINTS
2004	NFC (55)	AFC (52)	107
2011	NFC (55)	AFC (41)	96
2000	NFC (51)	AFC (31)	82
2010	AFC (41)	NFC (34)	75
2008	NFC (42)	AFC (30)	72
2002	AFC (38)	NFC (30)	68
2003	AFC (45)	NFC (20)	65
2005	AFC (38)	NFC (27)	65

NFL NETWORK'S LIVE COVERAGE FEATURES PRO BOWL RECORD-HOLDER: Seven-time Pro Bowler and Pro Football Hall of FamerMARSHALL FAULK is joined by FRAN CHARLES and TOM WADDLE on-location in Hawaii for NFL Network's live coverage of AFC and NFC practices on Thursday from 2:30-5:30 PM ET and Saturday from 1:30-3:30 PM ET. Practice coverage includes interviews with All-Star players and coaches.

The trio returns on Sunday at 4:00 PM ET for the live three-hour NFL Total Access: Pro Bowl Pregame which leads up to the 7:00 PM ET game time on NBC. Faulk earned 1995 Pro Bowl MVP honors as a Colts rookie when he set still-standing records for rushing yards (180), longest run from scrimmage (49 yards) and yards per carry (13.9, min. 10 attempts).

ELDER STATESMAN: Two of the most frequent participants in Pro Bowl history have made the trip to Honolulu once again in 2012: Atlanta tight end TONY GONZALEZ and Denver cornerback CHAMP BAILEY are each poised to play in their 11th career Pro Bowl, which will tie for the third-most in since 1970.

Only Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDALL MC DANIEL and longtime Kansas City guard WILL SHIELDS, who both played in 12 Pro Bowls apiece, have more All-Star appearances during that span.

Gonzalez is also the all-time career Pro Bowl leader in the following categories: total touchdowns (six), receptions (42) and receiving yards (632). Bailey's four career Pro Bowl interceptions are tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer DEION SANDERS and EVERSON WALLS for the most in the game's history.

The players with the most Pro Bowl games played since 1971:

PLAYER	YEARS	PRO BOWLS
Randall McDaniel	Minnesota, 1990-2000; Tampa Bay, 2001	12
Will Shields	Kansas City, 1996-2007	12
Champ Bailey	Washington, 2001-04; Denver, 2005-08, 2010-12	11
Tony Gonzalez*	Kansas City, 2000-01, 2003-09; Atlanta, 2011-12	11
Reggie White**	Philadelphia, 1987-93; Green Bay, 1994, 1996-97, 1999	11
Junior Seau*	San Diego, 1992-2002	11
Rod Woodson	Pittsburgh, 1990-95, 1997; Baltimore, 2000-02; Oakland, 2003	11
Lawrence Taylor	N.Y. Giants, 1982-1991	10
Ronnie Lott	San Francisco, 1982-85, 1987-91; L.A. Raiders 1992	10
Mike Singletary	Chicago, 1984-1993	10
Bruce Matthews****	Houston, 1989-95, 1997; Tennessee, 2000, 2002	10
Jerry Rice***	San Francisco, 1987-88, 1990-94,1996, 1999; Oakland, 2003	10
Peyton Manning*	Indianapolis, 2000-01, 2003-09, 2011	10
*Also selected, but did not play, in one additional game **Also selected, but did not play, in two additional games ***Also selected but did not play, in three additional games ****Also selected, but did not play in four additional games

ALL HAIL THE "U": Seven players named to the 2012 Pro Bowl roster played collegiately at the University of Miami (FL), more than any other college program.

Below is a breakdown of schools with at least four players named to the 2012 Pro Bowl squads:

COLLEGE	2012 PRO BOWL PLAYERS	NO.
Miami	RB Frank Gore, TE Jimmy Graham, RB Willis McGahee, C Chris Myers, LB Ray Lewis, DT Vince Wilfork, S Ed Reed	7
Auburn	QB Cam Newton, G Ben Grubbs, DT Jay Ratliff, CB Carlos Rogers	4
Georgia	WR A.J. Green, CB Champ Bailey, DT Richard Seymour, DT Geno Atkins	4
Pittsburgh	CB Darrelle Revis, WR Larry Fitzgerald, P Andy Lee, RB LeSean McCoy	4