THEY HAVE THE MOST PLAYERS VOTED INTO THE PRO BOWL THIS YEAR.. THEY HAD 11 TOTAL
Cowboys place 11 on NFC Pro Bowl team
December 18, 2007
NEW YORK (TICKER) -- With a 12-2 record, the Dallas Cowboys are enjoying a magical season.
The Cowboys have been rewarded for their success, placing a franchise record-tying 11 players on the NFC Pro Bowl team that was announced on Tuesday.
Dallas also had 11 players on the 1993 and 1994 NFC Pro Bowl teams.
Washington Redskins free safety Sean Taylor, who was murdered in a shooting at his home last month, was named to the team posthumously - the first NFL player to be honored in such a fashion. A replacement for Taylor will be announced at a later date.
Highlighting the Cowboys' picks were quarterback Tony Romo, wide receiver Terrell Owens and tight end Jason Witten.
The Green Bay Packers, who are tied with the Cowboys for the best record in the NFC, placed four players on the team, including quarterback Brett Favre and wide receiver Donald Driver.
Seven members of the Cowboys' offense were chosen, as tackle Flozell Adams, running back Marion Barber, guard Leonard Davis and center Andre Gurode also were honored.
Three Dallas' defensive players were tabbed: safety Ken Hamlin, cornerback Terence Newman and linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Rookie kicker Nick Folk was the Cowboys' lone special teams player selected.
Davis, Barber, Hamlin and Newman join Folk as first-time picks. Romo, Gurode and Ware were chosen for the second time, while Adams and Witten were tabbed for the fourth time. Owens will be making his sixth Pro Bowl appearance.
Romo has passed for 3,868 yards - the second-best mark in the NFC - and has thrown a franchise-record 35 touchdowns. Owens is the NFC's leading receiver with 76 catches for 1,307 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Favre, who has set a host of NFL records this season, was tabbed as the NFC's starting quarterback and will be making his ninth Pro Bowl appearance.
Favre has passed for an NFC-high 3,908 and last week broke Dan Marino's NFL mark for career passing yards. Earlier this season, the 38-year-old Favre also established NFL records for wins by a quarterback and touchdown passes.
Favre and Driver were joined on the Pro Bowl squad by Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman, who will be making his second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, and cornerback Al Harris, who was selected for the first time.
Favre, the leading vote-getter among fans, ties Hall of Famers John Elway, Marino, Warren Moon and Norm Van Brocklin for the second-most Pro Bowl selection by a quarterback. The late Johnny Unitas leads with 10.
Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck, making his third appearance, is the NFC's third quarterback. The Seahawks, winners of the NFC West, were second with five players picked.
Vikings rookie running back Adrian Peterson, the NFC's leading rusher with 1,278 yards, will start at running back and is one of 11 NFC players who will participate in their first Pro Bowl.
Peterson is joined in the backfield by Barber and Brian Westbrook of the Philadelphia Eagles, who has an NFL-best 1,896 yards from scrimmage. Completing the NFC is backfield is fullback Tony Richardson of the Minnesota Vikings.
Owens and Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald are the starting wide receivers and will be joined at the position by Driver and Torry Holt of the St. Louis Rams.
Completing the offense is Washington Redskins' tight end Chris Cooley, Seattle tackle Walter Jones, Vikings center Matt Birk and guards Steve Hutchinson of Minnesota and Shawn Andrews of Philadelphia.
On defense, ends Patrick Kerney of Seattle and Osi Umenyiora of the New York Giants join interior linemen Tommie Harris of the Chicago Bears and the Vikings' duo of Kevin Williams and Pat Williams.
Among outside linebackers, Ware is joined by Chicago's Lance Briggs and Seattle's Julian Peterson.
The two inside linebackers tabbed were Seattle's Lofa Tatupu and San Francisco rookie Patrick Willis.
Seattle's Marcus Trufant, the NFL's sack leader, was named as a starting cornerback while Minnesota's Darren Sharper will start at strong safety.
Bears return specialist Devin Hester headlines the special teams pick. San Francisco's Andy Lee is the NFC punter.
