Even the Dallas Cowboys recognize that the record 11 players they placed on the NFC Pro Bowl team is as much a factor of what they did last year as this year.
"You get a lot of Pro Bowl selections the year after you have a big season like we did in winning the Super Bowl," coach Jimmy Johnson said after the selections were announced Tuesday.Only two other teams had as many as seven players selected in the first year that fans have participated: San Francisco and Buffalo.
The Pro Bowl includes perhaps the oldest group of quarterbacks ever named - 37-year-old Joe Montana of Kansas City and 38-year-old Warren Moon of Houston are the AFC backups and 38-year Phil Simms of the New York Giants is a backup for the NFC.
The starting quarterbacks are Troy Aikman of Dallas in the NFC and John Elway of Denver for the AFC. San Francisco's Steve Young joins Aikman and Simms as NFC quarterbacks.
Defenses were switched from 3-4 to 4-3, meaning an extra defensive lineman was selected and one less inside linebacker.
A fullback also was selected to go with three running backs, adding the Cowboys' Daryl Johnston to teammate Emmitt Smith, Detroit's Barry Sanders and Los Angeles Rams rookie Jerome Bettis in the NFC. The AFC fullback is Keith Byars of Miami, joining Buffalo's Thurman Thomas, Kansas City's Marcus Allen and Pittsburgh's Barry Foster.
Aikman was the top vote-getter among the fans, who made NFC players their top five choices. He got 216,782 votes to 205,106 for Young, 190,073 for Emmitt Smith, 184,104 for Jerry Rice and 174,254 for Barry Sanders.
Fan voting was used whenever there was a tied vote, and six players made the teams that way - all high-profile players or players from high-profile teams.
They were tight ends Keith Jackson of Miami and Brent Jones of San Francisco, offensive linemen Jumbo Elliott of the Giants and Jesse Sapolu and Guy McIntyre of the 49ers, and linebacker Pat Swilling of Detriot.
In addition to Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Johnston, the 11 Cowboys included wide receiver Michael Irvin, offensive tackle Erik Williams, guard Nate Newton, center Mark Stepnoski, tight end Jay Novacek, defensive tackle Russell Maryland, linebacker Ken Norton and center Thomas Everett.
Stepnoski is injured and won't play. He was replaced on the roster by the Giants' Bart Oates, who shares center on his own team with Brian Williams.
The seven Buffalo players are Thomas, wide receiver Andre Reed, offensive tackle Howard Ballard, defensive end Bruce Smith, linebacker Cornelius Bennett, cornerback Nate Odomes and special teams player Steve Tasker.