Peters, Barwin, Kelce, McCoy & Sproles Are Pro Bowlers
PHILADELPHIA, PA (CBS) — The Eagles have been eliminated from the playoffs and won't be playing in January—but five Eagles will be playing in January, offensive tackle Jason Peters, center Jason Kelce, running back LeSean McCoy, linebacker Connor Barwin and special teams threat Darren Sproles. For Kelce, Barwin and Sproles, this will be the first time they've been chosen as Pro Bowlers. This is Peters' seventh time and the third time for McCoy as Pro Bowlers.
This is the second-straight season that five Eagles have been named to the Pro Bowl. All five last year were on offense last year. The Pro Bowl will take place on January 25 in Glendale, Ari., and will air live on ESPN.
This selection caps a career year for the 28-year-old Barwin. In his second season with the Eagles, Barwin, a six-year veteran, ranks fourth in the NFL and first in the NFC with 14.5 sacks on the season.
"I think it's a huge honor," Barwin said. "It's special because of the recognition from your peers, the coaches and the fans. I'm just fortunate to play in the defense that I play in and to play with the guys I play with. That is what allowed me to have the success that I had this year. It shows we're a good defense and I wouldn't be recognized if I didn't play with the other 20 guys who play defense on this team who hold me accountable every day, who have made me a better player and really allowed me to do what I can do on the field because of the work they put in."
This is also a nice step for Kelce. The four-year veteran missed four games this year with a sports hernia. A sixth-round drft pick in 2011, Kelce has started all 45 games he's played for the Eagles.
"I think that it's obviously a tremendous honor to be voted into the Pro Bowl," Kelce said. "It doesn't change the fact that the season's very frustrating, and for me personally I don't put too much of a huge deal onto this. I think these individual accolades really, in the grand scheme of things, don't mean too much. Obviously I was hurt for part of the season, so I didn't really put forth the performance that I wanted to this year, to be quite frank. I think that the Pro Bowl, a lot of that had to do with how I was playing before the injury. Last year I kind of built up a reputation, I think, among my peers, among my fans and among the media."
McCoy, the Eagles' all-time leading rusher, has gained 1,220 yards through 15 games. Though his aim was 2,000 yards and a playoff berth, the honor still means something for McCoy. "It means a lot," he said. "It means a lot for my fellow teammates and guys helping me out getting back in the Pro Bowl. You know, it's a blessing that some people might take for granted. It's so hard to get in, especially after this hard season, its ups and downs. I'm happy for my linemen to help me get in and it's truly an honor."
Peters has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of the five seasons that he's played a game for the Eagles. In 2014, Peters was the only member of the offensive line that's started every game in 2014.
And finally there's Sproles. The 31-year-old is a Pro Bowler for the first time. Acquired by the Eagles in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick last offseason, Sproles returned two punts for touchdowns and leads the league with a 13.7-yard average on punt returns. He's also scored six rushing touchdowns, while totaling 688 yards from scrimmage in the offense. Sproles became the third Eagles return man to earn Pro Bowl honors, joining DeSean Jackson (2010) and Wally Henry (1980).
"It means a lot," Sproles said. "It doesn't mean as much as going to the Super Bowl, but it is an honor though. This is an honor that also should go to the guys up front. They did a great job for me. It still matters after all of these years. You always want that on your résumé."
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