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| Date | February 12, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Aloha Stadium Honolulu, Hawaii | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Derrick Brooks (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Gerald Austin | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 50,190 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | |||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | JoJo | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coin toss | Governor of HawaiiLinda Lingle | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Backstreet Boys | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Mike Patrick,Joe Theismann,Paul Maguire,Suzy Kolber, andMichele Tafoya | ||||||||||||||||||
The2006 Pro Bowl was theNational Football League'sall-star game for the2005 season. The game was played on February 12, 2006, atAloha Stadium inHonolulu,Hawaii. It marked the 27th consecutive time that theNational Football League'sall-star game was held in Honolulu. TheNFC all-stars won by the score of 23 to 17.
The start of the game was interrupted by a surprise rainstorm that lasted through the first quarter, although it ended midway through the second. Both teams' first possessions were punted away, and each of their second drives ended in interceptions; theChicago Bears'Nathan Vasher interceptedPeyton Manning, thenJohn Lynch picked offMatt Hasselbeck. The AFC scored first on their next drive, culminating with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Manning toChris Chambers. After the teams traded punts,Michael Vick took over for the NFC in the second quarter, and led the team to the AFC 15-yard line, whereNeil Rackers kicked a 32-yarder to make it 7–3. Manning led the AFC right back down the field, andShayne Graham's 31-yard field goal increased the AFC's lead.
On the NFC's next drive,Champ Bailey intercepted Vick for the AFC's second turnover (both interceptions came off passes intended forSteve Smith). However, the NFC's defense responded with another interception; this time,Darren Sharper returned the interception 35 yards to the AFC's 32-yard line. The NFC was forced to punt it away on their next drive, however there was some controversy on the return.Jerome Mathis was set to receive the punt deep in the AFC's zone, and when the kick fromJosh Bidwell came near him, he opted not to touch it. However, it glanced off his leg and rolled into the end zone, where the NFC recovered it, seemingly for a touchdown. However, the officials did not see the ball hit Mathis, and since there is noinstant replay in a Pro Bowl game, NFC coachJohn Fox could not challenge the call. The AFC took over on their own 20, but soon afterward the NFC defense came up with another interception.Roy Williams intercepted a Manning pass and returned it 11 yards before handing it off to theAtlanta Falcons'DeAngelo Hall, who took it 57 yards to the AFC's 20. Michael Vick hittight endAlge Crumpler with a 14-yard touchdown pass with 8 seconds left in the half to tie the score at 10–10.
Jake Delhomme of theCarolina Panthers took over at quarterback at the start of the third quarter, and hit Steve Smith, with three straight passes. The Carolina Panthers provided the NFC's team with their coaching staff, and with the Panthers' quarterback and wide receiver running the offense, the NFC moved quickly down the field. The drive stalled at midfield, and the NFC punted it away. After the AFC's drive, led byChiefs' quarterbackTrent Green, ended in a punt, Delhomme once again moved the NFC downfield before being sacked byCasey Hampton, forcing afumble that was recovered by the AFC'sMarcus Stroud. The NFC's defense once again responded, and on the third play of the drive,Derrick Brooks returned an interception 59 yards for a touchdown that gave the NFC the lead at 17–10. After the AFC punted away their next drive,Santana Moss fumbled the ball away in AFC territory. Green led the AFC down the field again, thanks in large part to a 20-yard run by his Chiefs teammate,Larry Johnson. Green tied the game at 17–17 with a one-yardquarterback sneak. Matt Hasselbeck took over for the NFC again, and led the team on a scoring drive, ending with a 22-yard field goal by Rackers that gave the NFC the lead again.Steve McNair came in for a play at AFC quarterback, and promptly fumbled the ball away. After the NFC punted the ball away, McNair came back and lost another fumble, giving the NFC the ball on their own 18-yard line. Following the fumble, the AFC switched to a shotgun formation. After another Rackers field goal, the AFC took over on their own 26 with 1:10 left. McNair brought the AFC to midfield, but could not get them the touchdown they needed, and the game ended on a sack by theNew York Giants'Michael Strahan. Brooks was given theMost Valuable Player award.
| Position: | Player: |
|---|---|
| Punter | 8Brian Moorman,Buffalo |
| Placekicker | 17Shayne Graham,Cincinnati |
| Kick returner | 13Jerome Mathis,Houston |
| Special teamer | 31Hanik Milligan,San Diego |
| Long snapper | 54Mike Schneck,Buffalo[d] |
Source[1]
| Position: | Player: |
|---|---|
| Punter | 9Josh Bidwell,Tampa Bay |
| Placekicker | 1Neil Rackers,Arizona |
| Kick returner | 18Koren Robinson,Minnesota |
| Special teamer | 85David Tyree,N.Y. Giants |
| Long snapper | 88Mike Bartrum,Philadelphia[d] |
Source[1]
Notes:
| AFC team | Selections | NFC team | Selections |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 6 | Green Bay Packers | 0 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 1 | St. Louis Rams | 2 |
| Tennessee Titans | 2 | Dallas Cowboys | 4 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 7 | Seattle Seahawks | 7 |
| Miami Dolphins | 3 | Carolina Panthers | 4 |
| Denver Broncos | 5 | Minnesota Vikings | 2 |
| New England Patriots | 2 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5 | Chicago Bears | 6 |
| Buffalo Bills | 2 | Philadelphia Eagles | 3 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 5 | San Francisco 49ers | 0 |
| New York Jets | 2 | Washington Redskins | 2 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 | Atlanta Falcons | 6 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0 | New Orleans Saints | 1 |
| Houston Texans | 1 | New York Giants | 5 |
| Oakland Raiders | 1 | Arizona Cardinals | 2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6 | Detroit Lions | 1 |
On December 19, 2005, the NFL announced that fans had cast more than 70.5 million votes via the Internet and theSprintwireless telephone service, bettering by more than 16% the 61 million votes cast for the2005 Pro Bowl. Of the top ten vote-getters, all were offensive players and seven, including four of the top five, hailed from theAFC.Colts quarterback Peyton Manning led all players, garnering 1,184,142 votes, a new single-player record, and narrowly edging out Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander (1,110,575 votes) and Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson (1,044,360 votes).
On the defensive side, AFC players filled six of the top ten spots, though Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher led all defenders, earning 420,983 votes; Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey (379,477 votes), Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney (374,289 votes), and Bengals cornerback Deltha O'Neal (373,918 votes) paced the AFC.
Among NFLrookies, Buccaneers running backCarnell Williams was the leading vote-getter, receiving 219,736 votes to surpass Steelers tight endHeath Miller (217,928 votes). Cowboys outside linebackerDeMarcus Ware (104,592 votes), Vikings punterChris Kluwe (100,555 votes), and Bengals inside linebackerOdell Thurman (88,715 votes) rounded out the top five.
The top vote-getter at each position (as on the official NFL ballot), irrespective of conference:
Offense
| Player | Team | Position | Fan votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peyton Manning | Indianapolis Colts | Quarterback | 1,184,142 |
| Shaun Alexander | Seattle Seahawks | Running Back | 1,110,575 |
| Chris Cooley | Washington Redskins | Fullback | 422,314 |
| Chad Johnson | Cincinnati Bengals | Wide receiver | 987,650 |
| Antonio Gates | San Diego Chargers | Tight end | 941,846 |
| Jeff Saturday | Indianapolis Colts | Center | 234,847 |
| Larry Allen | Dallas Cowboys | Guard | 248,561 |
| Orlando Pace | Saint Louis Rams | Tackle | 185,095 |
Defense
| Player | Team | Position | Fan votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dwight Freeney | Indianapolis Colts | Defensive end | 374,289 |
| Rod Coleman | Atlanta Falcons | Interior lineman (Defensive tackle) | 307,839 |
| Demorrio Williams | Atlanta Falcons | Outside linebacker | 244,419 |
| Brian Urlacher | Chicago Bears | Inside linebacker (Middle linebacker) | 420,983 |
| Champ Bailey | Denver Broncos | Cornerback | 379,477 |
| Brian Dawkins | Philadelphia Eagles | Free safety | 193,166 |
| Troy Polamalu | Pittsburgh Steelers | Strong safety | 270,348 |
Special teams
| Player | Team | Position | Fan votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neil Rackers | Arizona Cardinals | Placekicker | 533,004 |
| Josh Bidwell | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Punter | 236,305 |
| Dante Hall | Kansas City Chiefs | Kick returner | 269,541 |
| Robert Mathis | Indianapolis Colts | Special teams | 130,890 |
Notably, four players—Cooley, Williams, Hall, and Robert Mathis—finished first in the balloting for their respective positions among fans but failed to secure a starting or reserve spot for the game.
JoJo performed the national anthem. Musical groupBackstreet Boys performed during halftime alongside "200 hula dancers, drummers and fire knife dancers and 400 youth performers.[2]"
