Saw it on the ESPN Ticker. http://www.houstontexans.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=5017 The NFL announced today that wide receiver Andre Johnson and defensive end Mario Williams were named as AFC starters in the 2009 Pro Bowl. With two Pro Bowlers, the Texans matched the most in team history. Houston had a pair of Pro Bowlers in the franchise’s inaugural season of 2002. This marks the fifth consecutive season that the Texans have had a player in the Pro Bowl and the third year in a row that the team has had at least one starter. Johnson will make his third appearance and second start in the NFL’s all-star game, while Williams will make his Pro Bowl debut. Johnson (6-3, 223) leads the NFL in receptions (103) and receiving yards (1,408). His yardage total is a career high and a Texans' franchise record, while his reception total through 14 games is one shy of his franchise record. He is tied for the league lead with a career-best seven 100-yard games this season. Johnson was the third overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami (Fla.) and is the franchise’s all-time leading receiver. During the course of the season, Johnson surpassed both the 5,000- and 6,000-yard career receiving plateaus and also caught his 400th career pass and became the team’s all-time leading scorer among non-kickers. Williams (6-6, 283) has recorded a team-high 11.0 sacks this season and is the Texans' all-time sack leader with 29.5 in just under three years. Williams has accounted for half of the Texans’ 22 sacks this season and has been responsible for 25 of the team’s 53 sacks (47.2 percent) over the last two seasons. He owns the top two single-season performances in franchise history with 14.0 sacks last year and his 11.0 sacks so far this season. The first overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, Williams has been one of the most dominant defensive ends in the NFL over the last two seasons. He earned second-team All-Pro honors from the Associated Press last season and was named Defensive Lineman of the Year by the NFL Alumni.
Hopefully Daniels, Leach, Demeco, Pitts and Slaton get a shot as alternates. Congrats to Mario and AJ! More than well deserved.
slaton didn't get there.. bummer. it was a down year with LT too.. so what, chris johnson, thomas jones, and who else? slaton deserves to be there... it better not be lynch or some crap like that
Yeah, Slaton didn't make it. Thomas Jones is starting and Chris Johnson and Ronnie Brown are the backups. http://www.nfl.com/probowl/story?id...late=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true Ronnie Brown? Really? Fewer Yards. Fewer yards per carry. He's 7th in the AFC in rushing and only averages 60 yards per game. Add in fewer receptions and receiving yards too.
Happy for AJ, but REALLY happy for Mario. It's been a long road for this kid and he deserves every accolade thrown his way....and then some!
Glad to see Mario and AJ make it Mario should have been there last year. Brown over Slation is just wrong :\
Brown over Slaton is a joke. I don't know that kind of blocker LeRon is out of the backfield, but I doubt he is better than Leach. I really thought him and Owen would have mad it as well.
RONNIE BROWN?! what the hell.... he was on my fantasy team and besides that one fluke game against the pats he was pathetic. this is a travesty... i hope slaton pulls a mario next year and takes it to the next level now. hopefully demeco and dunta will get back to that pro bowl level as well.
At the end of the year, Slaton deserves the spot instead of Ronnie. Earlier in the year, Ronnie deserved it. Ronnie Brown caught everyone's attention being the backbone behind the wildcat offense. When the average NFL fan thinks back on the wildcat offense, they think of Ronnie Brown. That's why he made it. Slaton had begun to receive recognition over the past month but it was too late in the season. Also, Ronnie Brown was voted #1 RB in the AFC by the fans. That obviously had something to do with him getting the last spot.
I kind of hoped Eric Winston would make it as well. He was lobbying so hard. Dude made up pins and everything.
Glad to see Andre and Mario make it. I predict that 20 players will not "be able to" go to the Pro Bowl due to injury or some crap like that, and the Texans will still have another player named(either Owen or Slaton).
Unfortunately, the three running backs ahead of Slaton will all be making their first trips to the pro bowl. They're gonna wanna go. The only conceivable way Slaton makes the trip is if one of those three guys gets hurt. Daniels has a better shot (Tony G. is making his 12th appearance, Gates always seems to have some nagging injury) but I think Dallas Clark would be next in line anyways.
Ronnie Brown only got the spot because he got the hype from the offensive set they stole from Darren McFadden. Slaton totally deserves it over him.
Heard him on Sirius NFL Radio - Moving the Chains this afternoon... Pat Kirwan told him that Slaton made the AFC Pro Bowl roster. Winston got excited and asked him twice "He made it?!?". Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan said nah and that they were pulling his chain. It was hilarious!
Good for them. They both deserve it. I think Chester Pitts does as well. He's had a Pro Bowl season and deserves credit for being the best player on a significantly improved line.
