Football and an All-Star game. You’d think that would be popular, right? No. Not at all.
Even so, it’s a nice honor to be selected for it. And the New England Patriots, of course, had some guys picked. In case you were wondering, here’s the four guys chosen:
Quarterback Tom Brady (12th) — No Patriots player has ever been picked more than Brady. And even coming off a four-game suspension, his numbers still warranted the pick. Too bad, football fans. I can’t remember the last time Tom Brady played in a Pro Bowl — even when the Pats didn’t make it to the Super Bowl. Maybe he doesn’t want to be a Pro Bowler.
At least it’ll look good on his Hall of Fame plaque, right?
Linebacker Dont’a Hightower (1st) — Looking at this Patriots defense — which has let up the least amount of points in the league — Hightower was good pick. The five-year veteran has been a force for the Pats this season, recording 64 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Seems weird it took the league this long to recognize him,
Safety Davin McCourty (3rd) — The captain is back. He’s done a nice job in coverage, recording 65 tackles thus far. Worth noting: McCourty was a Pro Bowl cornerback as a rookie. After struggling a bit at corner in the following seasons, he made the switch to safety and it has really paid off.
Special teamer Matthew Slater (6th) — This is six times in a row Slater, the Patriots special teams captain, has been picked. In five of the past eight seasons, he’s led the unit in tackles. Even so, Slater said he sees his teammate, Nate Ebner, as more deserving. You know what? He’s probably right. But then again, that’s the attitude that has made Slater well-liked, a captain and voted in so many times.
Speaking of “pro bowlers”…