2008 Pro Bowl

2008 NFL Pro Bowl
30	42
Date	February 10, 2008
Stadium	Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii
MVP	Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings)
Referee	Bill Carollo
Attendance	50,044
Ceremonies
National anthem	Kelly Rowland
Coin toss	Will Shields and United States Navy Admiral Timothy J. Keating
TV in the United States
Network	Fox
Announcers	Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa, and Brian Baldinger
	← 2007 ; Pro Bowl ; 2009 → ;

The 2008 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am local time (4:40pm EST) following Pole Qualifying for 2008 Daytona 500. The NFC won, 42–30, despite a 17-point first half AFC lead. NFC running back Adrian Peterson rushed 16 times for 129 yards and was named the game's MVP, winning a Cadillac CTS in recognition of his efforts.

The starting rosters for the game were released on December 18, 2007, with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady starting for the AFC and the Green Bay Packers' Brett Favre for the NFC. However, Brett Favre withdrew due to an ankle injury. Notable Pro Bowl selections included the late Sean Taylor. The Dallas Cowboys had a record thirteen players named to the Pro Bowl roster, while five teams, including all four members of the NFC South, had no players initially named (Jeff Garcia of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was later chosen as a replacement quarterback for Brett Favre.) This was the first occasion since their 1–15 1980 season that the New Orleans Saints had no player make the Pro Bowl.^[3] The AFC was coached by Norv Turner of the San Diego Chargers staff, while Mike McCarthy and the staff of the Green Bay Packers coached the NFC. Three Washington Redskins players (Chris Cooley, Chris Samuels and Ethan Albright) wore #21 in memory of Taylor, their deceased teammate.^[4] The game featured 41 players appearing in their first Pro Bowl (out of 86 total players), the most in eight years.^[5] In addition, the NFC played their first defensive play with only ten players on the field, lacking a free safety, in Taylor's honor.

On February 4, 2008, Brady, Patriots receiver Randy Moss, Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, and Chargers defensive lineman Jamal Williams decided to pull out of the 2008 Pro Bowl. Brady was replaced by Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson, Moss was replaced by Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson, Gates was replaced by Browns tight end Kellen Winslow, and Williams was replaced by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Casey Hampton.^[6]

The game was the most watched Pro Bowl since 2000, pulling in a Nielsen rating of 6.3 and a 12 share.^[7] It also marked the first ever Pro Bowl to be televised by Fox. The 2008 Pro Bowl also marked the fewest players represented by a Super Bowl winning team, with Osi Umenyiora being the lone representative of the New York Giants, winners of Super Bowl XLII.

Scoring summary[]

1st Quarter
- AFC – Lorenzo Neal 1-yard run (Rob Bironas kick), 10:59. AFC 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 4:01.
- NFC – Larry Fitzgerald 6-yard pass from Tony Romo (Nick Folk kick), 7:08. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 3:51.
- AFC – T.J. Houshmandzadeh 16-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Rob Bironas kick), 2:42. AFC 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:26.
- AFC – Rob Bironas 33-yard FG, 0:48. AFC 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 1:41.

Pre-game coin toss

2nd Quarter
- AFC – T.J. Houshmandzadeh 1-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Rob Bironas kick), 12:08. AFC 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:48.
- NFC – Terrell Owens 6-yard pass from Tony Romo (Nick Folk kick), 7:58. AFC 24–14. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 4:10.
- AFC – Rob Bironas 48-yard FG, 3:30. AFC 27–14. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:28.
- NFC – Chris Cooley 17-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Nick Folk kick), 0:28. AFC 27–21. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 3:02.
3rd Quarter
- NFC – Adrian Peterson 17-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 9:49. NFC 28–27. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 5:11.
- AFC – Rob Bironas 28-yard FG, 6:58. AFC 30–28. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 2:51.
4th Quarter
- NFC – Terrell Owens 6-yard pass from Jeff Garcia (Nick Folk kick), 12:29. NFC 35–30. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:46.
- NFC – Adrian Peterson 6-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 2:43. NFC 42–30. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 5:21.

AFC roster[]

Offense[]

Position	Starter(s)	Reserve(s)	Alternate(s)
Quarterback	12 Tom Brady, New England^[b]	18 Peyton Manning, Indianapolis^[c] 7 Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh	3 Derek Anderson, Cleveland^[a]
Running back	21 LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego^[b]	29 Joseph Addai, Indianapolis^[c] 39 Willie Parker, Pittsburgh^[b]	28 Fred Taylor, Jacksonville^[a] 23 Willis McGahee, Baltimore^[a]
Fullback	41 Lorenzo Neal, San Diego
Wide receiver	81 Randy Moss, New England^[b] 87 Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis	17 Braylon Edwards, Cleveland^[c] 84 T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati	85 Chad Johnson, Cincinnati^[a]
Tight end	85 Antonio Gates, San Diego^[b]	88 Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City^[c]	80 Kellen Winslow II, Cleveland^[a]
Offensive tackle	72 Matt Light, New England 71 Jason Peters, Buffalo ^[b]	75 Jonathan Ogden, Baltimore ^[b]	73 Joe Thomas, Cleveland ^[a]^[c] 73 Marcus McNeill, San Diego ^[a]
Offensive guard	66 Alan Faneca, Pittsburgh 70 Logan Mankins, New England	68 Kris Dielman, San Diego
Center	63 Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis	67 Dan Koppen, New England

Defense[]

Position	Starter(s)	Reserve(s)	Alternate(s)
Defensive end	69 Jared Allen, Kansas City 93 Kyle Vanden Bosch, Tennessee	99 Jason Taylor, Miami^[b]	94 Aaron Schobel, Buffalo^[a]
Defensive tackle	92 Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee 75 Vince Wilfork, New England	76 Jamal Williams, San Diego^[b]	98 Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh^[a]
Outside linebacker	92 James Harrison, Pittsburgh 50 Mike Vrabel, New England	56 Shawne Merriman, San Diego
Inside linebacker	59 DeMeco Ryans, Houston	52 Ray Lewis, Baltimore
Cornerback	24 Champ Bailey, Denver 22 Asante Samuel, New England	31 Antonio Cromartie, San Diego
Free safety	20 Ed Reed, Baltimore
Strong safety	21 Bob Sanders, Indianapolis^[b]	43 Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh^[b]	47 John Lynch, Denver^[a]^[c] 41 Antoine Bethea, Indianapolis^[a]

Special teams[]

Position:	Player:
Punter	9 Shane Lechler, Oakland
Placekicker	2 Rob Bironas, Tennessee
Kick returner	16 Joshua Cribbs, Cleveland
Special teamer	81 Kassim Osgood, San Diego
Long snapper	64 Ryan Pontbriand, Cleveland^[d]

NFC roster[]

Offense[]

Position	Starter(s)	Reserve(s)	Alternate(s)
Quarterback	4 Brett Favre, Green Bay^[b]	9 Tony Romo, Dallas^[c] 8 Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle	7 Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay^[a]
Running back	28 Adrian Peterson, Minnesota	24 Marion Barber III, Dallas 36 Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia
Fullback	49 Tony Richardson, Minnesota
Wide receiver	11 Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona 81 Terrell Owens, Dallas	80 Donald Driver, Green Bay 81 Torry Holt, St. Louis
Tight end	82 Jason Witten, Dallas	47 Chris Cooley, Washington^[f]
Offensive tackle	76 Flozell Adams, Dallas 71 Walter Jones, Seattle^[b]	60 Chris Samuels, Washington^[c]^[f]	76 Chad Clifton, Green Bay^[a]
Offensive guard	70 Leonard Davis, Dallas 76 Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota	73 Shawn Andrews, Philadelphia
Center	65 Andre Gurode, Dallas	78 Matt Birk, Minnesota

Defense[]

Position	Starter(s)	Reserve(s)	Alternate(s)
Defensive end	74 Aaron Kampman, Green Bay 97 Patrick Kerney, Seattle^[b]	72 Osi Umenyiora, N.Y. Giants^[c]	58 Trent Cole, Philadelphia^[a]
Defensive tackle	93 Kevin Williams, Minnesota 94 Pat Williams, Minnesota	91 Tommie Harris, Chicago^[b]	90 Darnell Dockett, Arizona^[a]
Outside linebacker	59 Julian Peterson, Seattle 94 DeMarcus Ware, Dallas	55 Lance Briggs, Chicago^[b]	98 Greg Ellis, Dallas^[a]
Inside linebacker	51 Lofa Tatupu, Seattle	52 Patrick Willis, San Francisco
Cornerback	31 Al Harris, Green Bay 23 Marcus Trufant, Seattle	41 Terence Newman, Dallas
Free safety	21 Sean Taylor, Washington^[e]	26 Ken Hamlin, Dallas^[c]
Strong safety	42 Darren Sharper, Minnesota		31 Roy Williams, Dallas^[g]

Special teams[]

Position:	Player:
Punter	4 Andy Lee, San Francisco
Placekicker	6 Nick Folk, Dallas
Kick returner	23 Devin Hester, Chicago
Special teamer	94 Brendon Ayanbadejo, Chicago
Long snapper	67 Ethan Albright, Washington^[d]^[f]

Notes:

^a Replacement selection due to injury or vacancy

^b Injured player; selected but did not play

^c Replacement starter; selected as reserve

^d "Need player"; named by coach

^e Posthumous selection

^f Wore 21 in honor of Sean Taylor

^g Replacement for posthumous selection Sean Taylor

Number of selections per team[]

AFC Team	Selections	NFC Team	Selections
San Diego Chargers	9	Dallas Cowboys	13
New England Patriots	8	Minnesota Vikings	7
Cleveland Browns	6	Seattle Seahawks	6
Indianapolis Colts	6	Green Bay Packers	5
Pittsburgh Steelers	6	Chicago Bears	4
Baltimore Ravens	4	Washington Redskins	4
Tennessee Titans	3	Philadelphia Eagles	3
Buffalo Bills	2	Arizona Cardinals	2
Cincinnati Bengals	2	San Francisco 49ers	2
Denver Broncos	2	New York Giants	1
Kansas City Chiefs	2	St. Louis Rams	1
Houston Texans	1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1
Jacksonville Jaguars	1	Atlanta Falcons	0
Miami Dolphins	1	Carolina Panthers	0
Oakland Raiders	1	Detroit Lions	0
New York Jets	0	New Orleans Saints	0

Halftime[]

The halftime show featured a performance by the band Lifehouse, who played their songs "Hanging by a Moment" and "First Time".

Foreign transmissions[]

Denmark – TV3+
Norway – SportN
United Kingdom – Sky Sports
Middle East – Showsports 4

References[]

^ NFL.com. "2008 Pro Bowl Gamebook" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-02-10.
^ Maffei, John (2008-02-08). "Davis focuses on job with ESPN". North County Times. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
^ "New Orleans Saints All-Pros and Pro Bowlers". Pro Football Reference.
^ Sakamoto, Kyle (2008-02-08). "Redskins to honor fallen teammate". The Honolulu Advertiser website. Archived from the original on 14 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
^ Jaymes Song (2008-02-09). "Fred Taylor among 41 Pro Bowl 'rookies'". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2020-09-04. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
^ "Judge: Vick can keep bonus". Associated Press. 2008-02-05. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
^ "Pro Bowl draws highest ratings since 2000". Associated Press. 2008-02-12. Retrieved 2008-02-13.

External links[]

[1] NFL.com. "2008 Pro Bowl Gamebook" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-02-10.

[FOX-2] Maffei, John (2008-02-08). "Davis focuses on job with ESPN". North County Times. Retrieved 2008-02-10.

[3] "New Orleans Saints All-Pros and Pro Bowlers". Pro Football Reference.

[taylor-4] Sakamoto, Kyle (2008-02-08). "Redskins to honor fallen teammate". The Honolulu Advertiser website. Archived from the original on 14 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-09.

[first-timers-5] Jaymes Song (2008-02-09). "Fred Taylor among 41 Pro Bowl 'rookies'". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2020-09-04. Retrieved 2008-02-09.

[Replacements-6] "Judge: Vick can keep bonus". Associated Press. 2008-02-05. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-09.

[ratings-7] "Pro Bowl draws highest ratings since 2000". Associated Press. 2008-02-12. Retrieved 2008-02-13.

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