Jennings going to Super Bowl, Babin to Pro BowlJan. 24, 2011 KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University football star and Green Bay Packers receiver Greg Jennings will trade an appearance in this year's NFL Pro Bowl for a trip to the Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 6.
With Green Bay going to the Super Bowl versus Pittsburgh in two weeks, Jennings and other Pro Bowl selections from the Packers and Steelers will forego an appearance in the league's annual all-star game Jan. 30 in Honolulu. Jennings led all receivers with eight catches for 130 yards in the Packers' 21-14 win over Chicago in the NFC Championship Game Sunday at Soldier Field. Jennings joins offensive lineman Tom Nutten as the only former Broncos to play in the Super Bowl. Nutten, a lineman for the Broncos, 1991-94, played seven seasons with the St. Louis Rams, earned a Super Bowl ring in 2000 and returned to the Super Bowl with the Rams in a losing effort in 2002. Babin, once considered a bust after being WMU's only first-round draft pick, 27th overall by the Houston Texans in 2004, was third in the AFC and sixth overall with 12.5 sacks this season. He also had 58 tackles and forced two fumbles. Babin's breakout season with the Titans came after stints with the Eagles, Chiefs, Seahawks and Texans during his previous six seasons. Jennings, drafted in the second round in 2006, was No. 2 in the NFC and fourth overall during the regular season with 1,265 yards on 76 catches and tied a career-high with 12 touchdown receptions. The Kalamazoo Central graduate led the NFC with 16.6 yards per catch, and become the fifth fastest Packer to reach 5,000 career yards receiving. Players are selected to the Pro Bowl by a combined vote of fans, coaches and their peers. The first Bronco alumnus selected to the Pro Bowl was Bob Rowe, defensive tackle with the St. Louis Cardinals, in 1968. Until this year, the only other Bronco selected was five-time Pro Bowl pick John Offerdahl, 1986-90, a linebacker with the Miami Dolphins. Media contact: Mat Kanan, (269) 387-4125, mat.kanan@wmich.edu WMU News |
Tennessee Titans defensive end Jason Babin and Jennings were both selected to the Pro Bowl, putting two former WMU Broncos on the Pro Bowl roster in the same season for the first time in school history.