2005 nfl pro bowl roster

The National Football League announced on Wednesday that the Kansas City Chiefs will be represented by five players on the 2005 AFC Pro Bowl squad. G Will Shields and T Willie Roaf will be attending their 10th Pro Bowls, TE Tony Gonzalez will be making his sixth consecutive appearance, FB Tony Richardson will be making his second trip to Hawaii and G Brian Waters was named to the AFC Pro Bowl squad for the first time.

The annual AFC-NFC Pro Bowl will be played in Honolulu, Hawaii at Aloha Stadium on February 13, 2005. The complete AFC and NFC Pro Bowl squads will be announced at 6:00 p.m. (CT) this evening on ESPN’s Pro Bowl Selection Show. Starters for the Pro Bowl will be announced on January 8, 2005.
“We’re proud of all our 2004 (season) Pro Bowlers, particularly since this will be Tony Gonzalez’s sixth Pro Bowl, and Willie Roaf’s and Will Shields’ 10th selection,” Chiefs President Carl Peterson commented. “Certainly, Brian Waters’ first and Tony Richardson’s second are also well-deserving. It speaks very well of our offensive efforts this season.”
The Chiefs are the first AFC team to have three Pro Bowl offensive linemen in one season since Denver following the ‘98 campaign (Tony Jones, Tom Nalen and Mark Schlereth). Shields’ and Waters’ nominations mark the first time two guards from the same team have made the Pro Bowl since Larry Allen and Nate Newton did it for Dallas following the ‘96 season.
“What’s so great is Will Shields is an all pro in every category: on the field, off the field, every example he sets on the practice field, whatever day it is, whatever kind of practice it is he sets an example of a true all pro,” head coach Dick Vermeil said. “And Willie Roaf has done pretty darn well with the same things. Now, to see Brian Waters follow….he’ll have a responsibility to live up to the standard set by our all pros ahead of them. Brian Waters has the physical ability to play there the next ten years.”
Shields (6-3, 315) will be making his 10th straight trip to Honolulu as a Pro Bowl performer, passing the late LB Derrick Thomas for the longest streak of Pro Bowl appearances in team history. The 10th overall selection to the Pro Bowl also passes Thomas, Pro Football Hall of Fame LB Bobby Bell and T Jim Tyrer for the most Pro Bowl or AFL All-Star game appearances in Chiefs annals. Shields has started 189 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak in the NFL, dating back to the second game of his rookie season in ‘93. He as also appeared in 190 straight games for the longest streak in Chiefs history.
A third-round draft pick (74th overall) out of Nebraska in ‘93, Shields was a three-time All-Big Eight choice and a two-time All-America pick. As a senior Shields won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman. He became the first player from the state of Oklahoma to play for the Huskers after an outstanding career at Lawton (Oklahoma) High School.
Roaf (6-5, 315) will be appearing in his 10th career Pro Bowl and his third as a member of the Chiefs. Roaf was named to the NFC Pro Bowl team seven times as a member of the Saints, but will represent the AFC Red for a third consecutive season. Roaf has started all 46 games for the Chiefs since coming to Kansas City and has racked up 177 starts over his 12-year career.
Roaf joined the Chiefs in 2002 via a trade with New Orleans, after originally entering the league as a first-round draft pick (eighth overall) of the Saints in ‘93 NFL Draft. The Outland Trophy finalist from Louisiana Tech was named to a host of All-America teams as a senior. The Pine Bluff, Arkansas native was an all-district selection at Pine Bluff High School.
Gonzalez (6-4, 248) will be making his sixth straight appearance in the NFL’s annual All-Star Game. The only Chiefs TE ever selected to the Pro Bowl, Gonzalez joins Fred Arbanas as the only other Kansas City TE to earn a berth in the Pro Bowl or the AFL All-Star Game. Arbanas made five AFL All-Star appearances (’62-65 and ‘67).
The University of California product is the Chiefs all-time leading pass catcher with 545 catches. Gonzalez currently leads the Chiefs with 77 catches for 990 yards through the first 14 games of the 2004 season. His 77 catches are tied for first among NFL tight ends, while his 990 yards lead all tight ends. He has caught a pass in 66 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in the team history and he has recorded 50+ receptions in a team-record seven consecutive seasons. His 85 catches of 20+ yards is also first in team history.
In 125 career games (109 starts), Gonzalez has amassed more receptions (545) and receiving yardage (6,637) than any other TE in Chiefs history. He is one of only three tight ends to lead his franchise in career receptions. His 545 career receptions rank third in NFL history for catches by a tight end, while his 6,637 yards are fifth-best among NFL tight ends in the NFL record books. The Huntington Beach, California native joined Kansas City as the club’s first-round draft choice (13th overall) in ‘97.
Richardson (6-1, 232) will be making his second straight trip to Honolulu for the Pro Bowl, making him the first Chiefs FB to represent Kansas City in consecutive seasons since Kimble Anders did it following the ‘95-97 campaigns. Richardson has helped pave the way for the Chiefs three-headed rushing attack of Priest Holmes, Derrick Blaylock and Larry Johnson, who have collectively rushed for 1,887 yards. The Chiefs as a team rank fourth in the NFL in rushing yards per game, averaging 151.4 on the season. Thanks to the blocking of Richardson and the Chiefs offensive line, the Chiefs have registered 28 rushing TDs in 2004, just four off the franchise record 32 set in 2003. Richardson also helped the Chiefs become the first team in NFL history to have three different players (Holmes, Blaylock and Johnson) rush for at least 150 yards in a single game within the same season.
The Auburn product originally joined Kansas City as a free agent in ‘95 after spending the previous season on the Dallas practice squad. In his nine NFL seasons, Richardson has appeared in 145 games (78 starts), compiling 387 carries for 1,548 yards with 15 TDs and 166 catches for 1,215 yards with eight TDs. The Frankfurt, Germany native racked up 162 carries for 715 yards with nine TDs in four seasons at Auburn.
Waters (6-3, 318) will be making his first trip to the Pro Bowl, giving the Chiefs three offensive linemen in the Pro Bowl for the first time in club history. Waters has started 53 consecutive games for the Chiefs dating back to a contest vs. Seattle (11/25/01). The fifth-year pro was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in a 56-10 victory vs. the Atlanta Falcons (10/24). Waters helped the Chiefs score an NFL-record eight rushing touchdowns en route to a 56-10 victory.
Waters joined the Chiefs in 2000 as a free agent, after originally entering the league as a rookie free agent with Dallas in ‘99. Waters becomes the first undrafted guard to make the Pro Bowl since Nate Newton did it following the ‘98 season. The North Texas alum was an all-district tight end and defensive end at Waxahachie High School in Waxahachie, Texas.
“That’s more important than anything, to have the respect of your teammates and also to have the respect of the guys in the league, the guys you play against,” Waters said Wednesday. “That says a lot about how hard you work. When your teammates respect you I think that takes you a long way and that has a lot to do with life outside of footballand when football is over.”