New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora excels at flying up field, coming off the edge and putting pressure on quarterbacks.

If only flying on planes could come as natural to him.

Umenyiora's dislike for flying had him in Hawai'i yesterday less than 48 hours after helping New York win Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Ariz., and not in New York as part of a ticker-tape parade with hundreds of thousands of fans.

"I love those guys so much, but I hate to fly. That's one of my things is flying," said Umenyiora after the NFC's first Pro Bowl practice at Kapolei High School. "I would have had to fly all the way back there (to New York) and then fly all the way back here. It would have been just too much. If I went to New York, there's no way I would've come back here. I would have stayed up there."

Besides, Umenyiora had to represent. The fifth-year pro out of Troy State was the only Giants player to be named to the Pro Bowl, which will be held Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at Aloha Stadium.

"There is no better feeling than being a world champion," he said. "I'm glad to be here. I'm a little sad that a couple of my teammates didn't make it with me."

Umenyiora, however, did add: "I'm the only guy here, but when I look at these players here you can't really argue with any of the selections."

Fortunately for Umenyiora, yesterday's parade, which ran through Manhattan and ended at Giants Stadium, was broadcast on the ESPN network.

"I watched it on TV this morning," he said. "I cried because I was so happy for them. I'm also happy for me to be a part of that organization."

Umenyiora had four tackles and a fumble recovery in the Giants' 17-14 victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots on Sunday. New York sacked Tom Brady five times.

"As a defensive line I felt like we're going to have to play well in order to win the football game," Umenyiora said. "The key was to get pressure on Tom Brady. And any time you get pressure on the quarterback, no matter how good he is, he's going to become a little ordinary."

Umenyiora said he's gotten a nice reception here by his NFC teammates.

"I get the sense a lot of them really wanted to see the Patriots lose," he said. "For some of them, it's almost like they won. I don't know what the Patriots did to everybody, but everybody was happy to see them lose like that."

Perhaps it was Spy Gate. Perhaps it was the fact New England has dominated the NFL in recent years.

On Sunday, the Patriots went from being one win from the NFL's first perfect season since 1972 to being on the wrong end of one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history.

"We're used to making the plays and that's what really hurt; when we had a chance we didn't and when they had a chance they did," said offensive lineman Logan Mankins, one of five Patriots on the AFC team.

When asked about the Super Bowl, Patriots offensive lineman Dan Koppen said: "I'm thinking about it a little bit. I don't know what to think about it."

Mankins, Koppen and fellow Patriots lineman Matt Light will get another shot at blocking Umenyiora on Sunday.

Something Mankins isn't looking forward to.

"No, keep him out of there," he said.

NOTES

17 players (11 AFC/6 NFC) were selected to the Pro Bowl, but pulled out. Among the notables: Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre, San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson, New England quarterback Tom Brady, New England receiver Randy Moss and Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu. ... 24 AFC players will be competing in their first Pro Bowl; the NFC has 16 first-timers.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.