Jerry Rice has made a habit of being an All-Pro. For Cris Carter, it's something new.
Rice and Carter were runaway choices at wide receiver on the 1994 Associated Press All-Pro team. Rice, the NFL's best receiver for nearly a decade and the career touchdown leader, made the team for the eighth time since 1986. He collected 94 votes from a nationwide panel of 98 sports writers and broadcasters, six more than Carter, who set an NFL record for receptions this year with 122 for Minnesota."I think it's a great feat and something I work hard on," Rice said. "When you work hard, everything else just happens."
"I think I've had a good opportunity," he said. "I've been in a situation where I could be successful week in and week out."
Rice was the last unanimous choice to the squad, in 1987. But Barry Sanders equaled that and Steve Young almost did.
Sanders, the Detroit Lions' sensational running back, led the NFL with 1,883 yards rushing and scored eight touchdowns.
"I consider this a very high honor. To be voted a unanimous selection with so many great players in our business is special," Sanders said. "It's also a tribute to how well we've played offensively this season. This is quite a compliment to my offensive line and to our entire offense."
Young got 96 votes at quarterback, with Dan Marino the choice of the other two voters. The 49ers' Young, having his best season, led the NFL in passing for the fourth straight year.
The other 49ers player to make All-Pro was cornerback Deion Sanders, the leading vote-getter on defense. Sanders received 86 votes, even though he missed three games before joining San Francisco as a free agent.
Dallas and Pittsburgh each had four All-Pros as the NFC placed 14 players on the team, with 11 coming from the AFC, and 13 of the 28 teams represented.
The Cowboys were running back Emmitt Smith, the league's leading score and the 1993 MVP; guard Nate Newton; defensive end Charles Haley; and safety Darren Woodson.
The Steelers were center Dermontti Dawson, cornerback Rod Woodson and both outside linebackers, Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene.
Another record-setter, Ben Coates of New England, was the tight end, getting 88 votes. Coates established a single-season mark for catches by a tight end with 96.
The tackles were William Roaf of New Orleans and Richmond Webb of Miami. Roaf was one of eight players making it for the first time. The other guard was Randall McDaniel of Minnesota.
Joining Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson and Darren Woodson in the secondary was Cleveland safety Eric Turner. The middle linebacker was Junior Seau of San Diego.
Up front with Haley were Bruce Smith of Buffalo at end, with John Randle of Minnesota and Cortez Kennedy of Seattle at tackle.
The special teams players were placekicker John Carney of San Diego, the NFL's top scorer with 135 points; punter Reggie Roby of Washington; and kick returner Mel Gray of Detroit.
The other first-time All-Pros were Greene, Darren Woodson, Turner, Carney, Coates, Carter and Newton.
Repeaters from 1993 were Young, Rice, Emmitt Smith, McDaniel, Dawson, Bruce Smith, Randle, Kennedy, Lloyd, Seau, Deion Sanders and Rod Woodson.
This year's second team featured Marino at quarterback; running backs Chris Warren of Seattle and rookie Marshall Faulk of Indianapolis; wide receivers Terance Mathis, Atlanta, and Irving Fryar, Miami; tight end Brent Jones, San Francisco; tackles Lomas Brown, Detroit, and Tony Jones, Cleveland; guards Keith Sims, Miami, and Steve Wisniewski, Los Angeles Raiders; center Mark Stepnoski, Dallas; kick returner Brian Mitchell, Washington; and placekicker Fuad Reveiz, Minnesota.
On defense, it was Reggie White, Green Bay, and Leslie O'Neal, San Diego, at end; Chester McGlockton, Los Angeles Raiders, and Michael Dean Perry, Cleveland, at tackle; outside linebackers Ken Harvey, Washington, and Derrick Thomas, Kansas City; inside linebacker Chris Spielman, Detroit; cornerbacks Terry McDaniel, Los Angeles Raiders, and Aeneas Williams, Arizona; safeties Merton Hanks, San Francisco, and Carnell Lake, Pittsburgh; and punter Rick Tuten, Seattle.