Thursday, January 30, 2003
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Ten
Eagles on NFC Pro Bowl roster HONOLULU
— Except for the warm weather and the quiet fans, Brian Dawkins’
third trip to the Pro Bowl has been a whole lot like a Philadelphia
Eagles minicamp. The
All-Pro safety’s teammates and coaches were everywhere he looked
during the NFC’s brief workout Wednesday at Aloha Stadium.
The Eagles lost the conference championship game to Tampa Bay, giving
them plenty of time to make it to Honolulu in an impressive Philly
contingent at the NFL’s all-star game. “Seems
like half the team is here,” Dawkins said after signing autographs
for a few hundred mellow fans. “I’m not surprised everybody
got on the plane. It was 10 degrees when I left town. There’s
a comfort level for all of us, especially on defense.” There
are 10 Philadelphia players at the Pro Bowl, and they’ll be
led by the Eagles’ coaching staff — the dubious honor
given to the coaches of the losing teams in the conference title
games. Though defensive end Hugh Douglas missed Wednesday’s
workout because of a minor illness, green helmets and hats dominated
the field. Eight
Philadelphia players were among the original 43 selections to the
NFC team, and tackle Jon Runyan and quarterback Donovan McNabb were
added as injury replacements. Even Green Bay tight end Bubba Franks
left practice wearing an Eagles T-shirt — the result of the
traditional gear-trading rituals of Pro Bowl week. “We
want to run an offensive play where we have all of our guys on the
field,” McNabb said with a grin. “We’ll need a center,
but that’s all. The rest of the guys can have the day off.” NFC
coach Andy Reid still is awaiting the arrival of Tampa Bay’s
six Pro Bowlers. Some of the Buccaneers were expected to fly in
Wednesday, fresh from their victory parade in Florida. “It’s
a good opportunity to keep things simple and have some fun,”
said Reid, coaching the NFC for the second straight year. “Having
so many of our guys here is a help to us, but we’re just doing
basic things and trying to enjoy the week.” The only rookie at the Pro Bowl is tight end Jeremy Shockey of the New York Giants. Fans eagerly sought the long-haired All-Pro’s autograph, shouting his name and waving photos. |
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TCU Daily Skiff © 2003 |
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