Brett Favre NY Jets Quarterback NFL 2009 AFC Pro Bowl Players All Star Selections

Jets Lead AFC & NFL with 7 Players on Pro Bowl Squad, Titans place 6 players, Ravens place 5 on AFC Pro Bowl Squad

The Jets' seven All-Star selections -- ALAN FANECA, BRETT FAVRE, KRIS JENKINS, THOMAS JONES, NICK MANGOLD, DARRELLE REVIS and LEON WASHINGTON -- are the most in Jets history, surpassing previous team-highs of five in 1982, 1985 and 1998.

All seven make their first NFL Pro Bowl appearances as members of the New York Jets.

Right behind the Jets with the most AFC players this season are the Tennessee Titans (6 players) and the Baltimore Ravens (5 players). The 2008 Pro Bowl is to be played in Honolulu, Hawaii on Sunday, February 8 (NBC, 4:30 PM ET).

The AFC roster includes 17 first-time All-Star selections, including Denver Broncos quarterback JAY CUTLER, who leads the AFC with 3,851 yards passing.

AFC Pro Bowl Selections on Offense

Nine-time Pro Boal selection PEYTON MANNING of the Indianapolis Colts will be the starting quarterback.

This is Manning's seventh consecutive Pro Bowl. New York Jets quarterback BRETT FAVRE was selected to his 10th All-Star game. This is Favre's first time representing the AFC. With this year's selection, Favre ties JOHNNY UNITAS for most All-Star selections by a quarterback with 10 and he is the first Jets QB to appear in a Pro Bowl since VINNY TESTAVERDE (1998 season). In his third season, Broncos quarterback Cutler joins veterans Manning and Favre to round out the AFC's passing attack.

The AFC's backfield consists of four first-time Pro Bowl Selections.

New York Jets running back THOMAS JONES has earned a starting role. Jones has set the Jets season record with 15 touchdowns and currently leads the AFC with 1,222 rushing yards. At 260 pounds, LE' RON MC CLAIN has utilized his size by pounding his way to a career-high seven rushing touchdowns this season. The first-time All-Star will be the AFC's starter at fullback.

The other running back Pro Bowl selections to the AFC squad include be Tennessee Titans rookie CHRIS JOHNSON and RONNIE BROWN of the Miami Dolphins. Johnson ranks second in the AFC with 1,159 rushing yards and joins EARL CAMPBELL (1978 season) as the only Titans (Oilers) rookie running back to be named the Pro Bowl squad. A first-round pick in 2005, Brown is the first Dolphins running back to be named to the Pro Bowl since RICKY WILLIAMS 2002.

The four receivers chosen for the AFC's 2009 All-Star team includes Houston's ANDRE JOHNSON, who leads the NFL in receptions (103) and receiving yards (1,408). The sixth-year NFL veteran makes his third Pro Bowl appearance. First-time selection BRANDON MARSHALL of the Denver Broncos is the other starter. Colts wide receiver REGGIE WAYNE and first-timer WES WELKER of the New England Patriots, who ranks second in the NFL behind Johnson with 102 receptions round out the AFC All-Star receiving foursome.

Representing the AFC at tight end will be 10-time All-Star TONY GONZALEZ of the Kansas City Chiefs, who has been selected to the most Pro Bowls at the position in NFL history. In his 12th season, Gonzalez leads NFL tight ends in receptions (84), receiving yards (941) and touchdowns (8). In his sixth season, San Diego's ANTONIO GATES has been selected to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl.

In his first year with the Jets, 11-year veteran guard ALAN FANECA makes his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl trip and will be joined at the other starting guard position by KRIS DIELMAN of San Diego, who makes his second All-Star game in a row. Kansas City's BRIAN WATERS, who plays a pivotal role on a young Chiefs offensive line, has been selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl.

In his 15th NFL season, Tennessee's KEVIN MAWAE starts at center for the AFC in his first Pro Bowl with the Titans and seventh overall. AFC All-Star NICK MANGOLD of the Jets has earned his first Pro Bowl appearance.

The group of AFC Pro Bowl tackles include two-time Pro Bowl selections JASON PETERS of the Buffalo Bills and JOE THOMAS of the Cleveland Browns. MICHAEL ROOS of Tennessee, playing in his first Pro Bowl, is the AFC's other tackle.

AFC Pro Bowl Selections on Defense

On defense, the AFC's starting interior linemen are ALBERT HAYNESWORTH of Tennessee and New York's KRIS JENKINS. Haynesworth has earned his second consecutive start and Jenkins his fourth Pro Bowl appearance and first with the AFC. Accompanying Haynesworth and Jenkins will be Cleveland's SHAUN ROGERS, who completes a mammoth interior group for the AFC.

A trio of AFC South rushers will be on display at defensive end. MARIO WILLIAMS of Houston makes his Pro Bowl debut as a starter and will be joined by Indianapolis defensive end DWIGHT FREENEY in his fourth Pro Bowl in seven seasons with the Colts. Freeney's teammate ROBERT MATHIS will cap off this trio with the first All-Star appearance of his six-year career.

Sacks are plentiful for the AFC's starting outside linebackers -- Miami's JOEY PORTER ranks first in the AFC with 17.5 and JAMES HARRISON of Pittsburgh is second in the conference with 15.0. Porter will make his fourth All-Star appearance and first as a Dolphin, while Harrison settles in with his second consecutive Pro Bowl start. Joining Porter and Harrison at outside linebacker is TERRELL SUGGS, who has 7.5 sacks and two interception-touchdown returns for Baltimore.

Roaming the middle of the AFC defense will be two AFC North linebackers from the NFL's top-two-ranked defenses -- RAY LEWIS of Baltimore and JAMES FARRIOR of Pittsburgh. In his 13th season from Miami, Lewis will start as he makes his ninth appearance in Hawaii. Farrior, the captain of the league's No. 1 defense will appear in his second All-Star game.

Three first-time Pro Bowl selections will represent the AFC at cornerback. NNAMDI ASOMUGHA of Oakland and CORTLAND FINNEGAN of Tennessee will pair as the starters. Asomugha is the first Raiders cornerback since CHARLES WOODSON in 2001 to earn All-Star status. In his second NFL season, New York cornerback DARRELLE REVIS will make his Pro Bowl debut. Revis is tied for second in the NFL with five interceptions.

Two of the NFL's elite players start at safety for the AFC. Pittsburgh's strong safety TROY POLAMALU earns his fifth consecutive AFC Pro Bowl selection and Ravens free safety ED REED earned his fifth Pro Bowl appointment in seven seasons. First-time Pro Bowl selection CHRIS HOPE of the Tennessee Titans joins starting safeties Polamalu and Reed.

AFC Pro Bowl Selections on Special Teams

The AFC special teams unit is comprised of four players, including two first-time Pro Bowl honorees.

New York Jets kick returner LEON WASHINGTON makes his first trip to the Pro Bowl as does Patriots kicker STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI, who leads the AFC with 124 points. Gostkowski is tied for first in the conference with 30 field goals.

Baltimore linebacker BRENDON AYANBADEJO, who leads the Ravens with 26 special teams tackles, will serve as the AFC's special teamer. Ayanbadejo makes his third consecutive Pro Bowl and his first with the Ravens. Concluding the special teams group will be Oakland's veteran punter SHANE LECHLER. The four-time All-Star leads the AFC with a 48.8 average and has placed 28 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

The 42-man AFC squad is comprised of 21 offensive and 17 defensive players plus four specialists. A 43rd "need" player will be chosen by the AFC head coach and must be a cornerback, defensive end, linebacker or long snapper.

The 2009 AFC coaching staff will be from the AFC Championship Game runner-up team.

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.

Nearly 85 million fan votes were cast on NFL.com.

The National Conference defeated the American Conference 42-30 last season in the Pro Bowl. The all-time series is tied 19-19.

Each player on the winning Pro Bowl team receives $45,000, while each player on the losing squad earns $22,500.

2009 AFC Pro Bowl Roster

(Starters listed in Bold; * First-time Pro Bowl selection)

QUARTERBACKS
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
Brett Favre, New York Jets
* Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos

RUNNING BACKS
* Thomas Jones, New York Jets
* Ronnie Brown, Miami
* Chris Johnson, Tennessee

WIDE RECEIVERS
Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
* Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos
Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts
* Wes Welker, New England Patriots

TIGHT ENDS
Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

FULLBACK
* Le'Ron McClain, Baltimore Ravens

TACKLES
Jason Peters, Buffalo Bills
* Michael Roos, Tennessee Titans
Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns

GUARDS
Kris Dielman, San Diego Chargers
Alan Faneca, New York Jets
Brian Waters, Kansas City Chiefs

CENTERS
Kevin Mawae, Tennessee Titans
* Nick Mangold, New York Jets

DEFENSIVE ENDS
Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts
* Mario Williams, Houston Texans
* Robert Mathis, Indianapolis Colts

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN
Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee Titans
Kris Jenkins, New York Jets
Shaun Rogers, Cleveland Browns

INSIDE/MIDDLE LINEBACKERS
Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens
James Farrior, Pittsburgh Steelers

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers
Joey Porter, Miami Dolphins
Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens

CORNERBACKS
* Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Raiders
* Cortland Finnegan, Tennessee Titans
* Darrelle Revis, New York Jets

FREE SAFETY
Ed Reed, Baltimore Ravens

STRONG SAFETY
Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers
* Chris Hope, Tennessee Titans

SPECIALISTS
Shane Lechler, Oakland Raiders (PUNTER)
* Leon Washington, New York Jets (RETURNS SPECIALIST)
* Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots (PLACEKICKER)
Brendon Ayanbadejo, Baltimore Ravens (SPECIAL TEAMER)

NFC Pro Bowl Player Selections

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AFC Pro Bowl Players All Star Selections - NFL 2009