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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, January 3, 2002

Kreutz, Elam selected to Pro Bowl

 •  Pro Bowl rosters

Advertiser Staff and Wire Reports

Two football players with Hawai'i ties have been named to the Pro Bowl teams announced yesterday by the NFL.

St.Louis School graduate Olin Kreutz, left, was selected for his first Pro Bowl, while Jason Elam was named to the AFC squad in 1995 and 1998.
The game will be played Saturday, Feb. 9, at Aloha Stadium.

Chicago Bears center Olin Kreutz, a former St. Louis School and University of Washington athlete, was named to his first Pro Bowl. Denver Broncos kicker Jason Elam, who played for the University of Hawai'i from 1989-92, was named to his third Pro Bowl.

Kreutz was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate the past two seasons. He is in his fourth year after being drafted in the third round in 1998.

Elam was named to the Pro Bowl in 1995 and 1998.

The starting lineups will be announced later.

"I'm shocked; this is a huge honor," Kreutz said when he was notified after the Bears' practice. "It recognizes how good we've been playing (they are 12-3) and how well our offensive line is thought of. Any of our five guys could have made it and two did."

One third of the voting was done by fans, one third by players and one third by coaches.

The Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers led each conference with six players apiece, even though the Bucs are the NFC's final playoff seed and the Ravens still haven't clinched a playoff berth.

Baltimore middle linebacker Ray Lewis was among the group from last year's Super Bowl champions to make the squad. Defensive tackle Warren Sapp leads the Tampa contingent.

One oddity was the selection of three members of the Carolina Panthers, who are 1-14 and go into the final week seeking to avoid becoming the first team ever to lose 15 consecutive games in a single season. The Panthers selected were kick returner Steve Smith, punter Todd Sauerbrun and tight end Wesley Walls.

Atlanta and Cincinnati were the only teams without Pro Bowlers.

Tom Brady, New England's fourth-string quarterback last season, was voted in after leading the Patriots to the playoffs.

Brady was one of three quarterbacks on the AFC squad along with Rich Gannon of Oakland and Kordell Stewart of Pittsburgh. Stewart was another outsider — he had had three consecutive poor seasons and was a major question mark entering the season.

The quarterbacks for the NFC are Kurt Warner of St. Louis, Brett Favre of Green Bay and Jeff Garcia of San Francisco.

Brady, who took over this season for the injured Drew Bledsoe, is just the fifth quarterback to make the Pro Bowl in the year of his first start. The others are Dan Marino in 1983, Favre in 1992, Warner in 1999 and Daunte Culpepper of Minnesota last season.

Also making the team was 49er running back Garrison Hearst, who came back from two years off because of a severely broken ankle to gain 1,149 yards.

• • •

AFC OFFENSE

Wide receivers: Tim Brown, Oakland; Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis; Jimmy Smith, Jacksonville; Rod Smith, Denver.

Tackles: Walter Jones, Seattle; Lincoln Kennedy, Oakland; Jonathan Ogden, Baltimore.

Guards: Ruben Brown, Buffalo; Alan Faneca, Pittsburgh; Will Shields, Kansas City.

Centers: Bruce Matthews, Tennessee; Kevin Mawae, N.Y. Jets.

Tight ends: Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City; Shannon Sharpe, Baltimore.

Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, New England; Rich Gannon, Oakland; Kordell Stewart, Pittsburgh.

Running backs: Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh; Priest Holmes, Kansas City; Curtis Martin, N.Y. Jets.

Fullback: Larry Centers, Buffalo.

NFC OFFENSE

Wide receivers: David Boston, Arizona; Isaac Bruce, St. Louis; Keyshawn Johnson, Tampa Bay; Terrell Owens, San Francisco.

Tackles: Orlando Pace, St. Louis; Chris Samuels, Washington; James Williams, Chicago.

Guards: Larry Allen, Dallas; Ray Brown, San Francisco; Ron Stone, New York Giants.

Centers: Matt Birk, Minnesota; Olin Kreutz, Chicago.

Tight ends: Bubba Franks, Green Bay; Wesley Walls, Carolina.

Quarterbacks: Brett Favre, Green Bay; Jeff Garcia, San Francisco; Kurt Warner, St. Louis.

Running backs: Marshall Faulk, St. Louis; Ahman Green, Green Bay; Garrison Hearst, San Francisco.

Fullback: Mike Alstott, Tampa Bay.

• • •
AFC DEFENSE

Ends: John Abraham, N.Y. Jets; Jevon Kearse, Tennessee; Marcellus Wiley, San Diego.

Interior linemen: Sam Adams, Baltimore; Trevor Pryce, Denver; John Randle, Seattle.

Outside linebackers: Jason Gildon, Pittsburgh; Jamir Miller, Cleveland; Junior Seau, San Diego.

Inside linebackers: Ray Lewis, Baltimore; Zach Thomas, Miami.

Cornerbacks: Sam Madison, Miami; Deltha O'Neal, Denver; Charles Woodson, Oakland.

Strong safeties: Rodney Harrison, San Diego; Lawyer Milloy, New England.

Free safety: Rod Woodson, Baltimore.

• • •
NFC DEFENSE

Ends: Hugh Douglas, Philadelphia; Robert Porcher, Detroit; Michael Strahan, N.Y. Giants.

Interior linemen: La'Roi Glover, New Orleans; Warren Sapp, Tampa Bay; Bryant Young, San Francisco.

Outside linebackers: Jessie Armstead, N.Y. Giants; LaVar Arrington, Washington; Derrick Brooks, Tampa Bay.

Inside linebackers: Jeremiah Trotter, Philadelphia; Brian Urlacher, Chicago.

Cornerbacks: Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay; Troy Vincent, Philadelphia; Aeneas Williams, St. Louis.

Strong safeties: Sammy Knight, New Orleans; John Lynch, Tampa Bay.

Free safety: Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia.

• • •
AFC SPECIALISTS

Punter: Shane Lechler, Oakland.

Placekicker: Jason Elam, Denver.

Kick return specialist: Jermaine Lewis, Baltimore.

Special teamer: Ian Gold, Denver.

• • •
NFC SPECIALISTS

Punter: Todd Sauerbrun, Carolina.

Placekicker: David Akers, Philadelphia.

Kick return specialist: Steve Smith, Carolina.

Special teamer: Larry Whigham, Chicago.