GREEN BAY, Wis. Last year, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was left off the NFC Pro Bowl team and then made those who ignored him realize their mistake by lighting up the opposition in the playoffs and winning the Super Bowl XLV most valuable player award.
This year?
Voters didn t have any choice but to make him the NFC starter given his record pace toward the all-time record for single-season passer rating . That and the 14-1 record the Packers have forged in their follow-up to a title made him a difficult guy to vote against.
Rodgers was one of seven Packers elected to the team Tuesday, four of them starters. Besides Rodgers, cornerback Charles Woodson, linebacker Clay Matthews and fullback John Kuhn were top vote-getters at their positions.
Kuhn, nose tackle B.J. Raji and center Scott Wells were all first-time selections, and receiver Greg Jennings made it for the second straight year.
The voting is broken up into three equal segments - fans, player and coaches balloting - and given Rodgers pulled in more fan votes than any other player in the NFL, he had a pretty good boost toward securing a starting berth.
Being picked over New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees may be a precursor to the final tally when the most valuable player award is counted. A panel of 50 media members votes on the award, and noting that players and coaches seemed to be on his side, many probably will go with Rodgers.
The Packers did not make Rodgers available to the media Tuesday but did release a statement from him.
"It does have special significance, because when I was voted in in 2009, I was the third guy and I was very thankful to be voted in, and got the opportunity to start because of some injuries and guys not going," Rodgers said. "But it s great to be voted in as a starter; that means a lot to me, and it s a special honor."
Rodgers current passer rating of 122.5 ranks just ahead of Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning s all-time single-season mark of 121.1 set in 2004. Rodgers has the highest career passer rating in NFL history at 104.1.
Brees and the New York Giants Eli Manning are the NFC s backups.
The seven Packers selections were the most for the franchise in a season since the squads were split up into NFC and AFC in 1971. The previous high had been six in 1997, the year after the Packers won Super Bowl XI. The all-time franchise high was nine in 67, in the midst of back-to-back Super Bowl victories.
This year, the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots [ ] tied for the league high in selections with eight each. The Packers and Baltimore Ravens were tied for second.
As impressive as Rodgers season has been, Woodson s Pro Bowl resume is equally striking with his eighth selection.
Woodson joined the Packers in 2006 as a 29-year-old free agent who seemed to draw little interest.
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