University of Tennessee Athletics
Four Former Vols Earn Spots in NFL Pro Bowl
December 19, 2003 | Football
Dec 19, 2003
Four former University of Tennessee football standouts were named to the 2004 NFL Pro Bowl squads announced Thursday.
Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, Baltimore running back Jamal Lewis, New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis and St. Louis defensive end Leonard Little were selected to play in the league's annual all-star classic Feb. 8 in Honolulu.
Lewis has led the NFL in rushing since the second week of the season when he rushed for a league single-game record of 295 yards against Cleveland. Lewis enters this weekend's play with 1747 yards on 338 carries. This will be Lewis' first Pro Bowl appearance.
Manning, who leads the NFL in passing this year with 3901 yards and a league-high 28 TD passes, has directed the Colts to an AFC South-leading 11-3 mark. Indianapolis clinched a playoff berth last week with its 38-7 win over Atlanta. He will be playing in his fourth Pro Bowl in six NFL seasons.
In his fourth NFL campaign, Ellis has established himself as one of the league's top pass rushers, registering 11.5 quarterback sacks (second in AFC) for -49 yards and a career-best 97 tackles entering this week's game against New England.
Little, in his sixth season in St. Louis, is a candidate for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. Playing in just 10 games due to injury, Little has recorded 12 sacks and 41 tackles while helping the Rams to an 11-3 mark and a spot in the playoffs.
In a first-place showdown against Minnesota Nov. 30, Little came back from the injury to record a career-high with four sacks, adding eight tackles (six solo), three QB pressures, and two forced fumbles to earn NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Little is one of a league-high five Rams to make the Pro Bowl.
In last year's Pro Bowl, Manning and former Vol running back Travis Henry helped lead the AFC to a 45-20 win over the NFC.
