All-Time NFC South Pro Bowl Roster: The Greatest Falcons, Saints, Bucs, And Panthers

After 2011 NFL Pro Bowl rosters were revealed yesterday (including seven Falcons!), I started wondering about the NFC South's historical standing in the league's all-star game. So here's an all-time division roster based on Pro Bowl selections. It came out pretty close to what you'd draw up if you were creating an all-time NFC South squad from scratch.

The NFC South has only existed since 2002, but I included pre-2002 Pro Bowlers for each team. This sells the Carolina Panthers short, as they're the youngest franchise by far, but they still put five starters on the list. I think I included every divisional player who's been to multiple Pro Bowls, but may have missed a couple. Let me know if you spot any.

The divison's oldest team, the Atlanta Falcons, has 13 starters. Between that and yesterday's Pro Bowl haul, Atlanta Falcons fans should definitely be satisfied in the national perception of their team for the time being. The history shows the Birds have earned far more recognition than their local rivals despite similarly scant winning seasons.

The New Orleans Saints have five starters and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have seven (those numbers don't add up to one starter per position, as who am I to choose between Joe Horn and Steve Smith? It also means a few positions send multiple starters to the same team). However the Saints and Bucs have the most-decorated players in Derrick Brooks, Willie Roaf, Mike Alstott, and Morten Andersen, and the Saints took over the marquee position this year with Drew Brees' fourth selection.

Andersen and Warrick Dunn were the only players I could find who made Pro Bowls with multiple NFC South teams. Do you know of any more? 

Quarterback

 

• Drew Brees, Saints (4)
• Michael Vick, Falcons (3)
• Steve Bartkowski, Falcons (2); Chris Chandler, Falcons (2) Jake Delhomme, Panthers (2); Archie Manning, Saints (2)

 

Running back

 

• William Andrews, Falcons (4)
• Gerald Riggs, Falcons (3)
• Stephen Davis, Panthers (2); Warrick Dunn, Bucs (2); Rueben Mayes, Saints (2); Deuce McAllister, Saints (2); George Rogers, Saints (2); Michael Turner, Falcons (2)

 

Fullback

 

• Mike Alstott, Bucs (6)

 

Wide receiver

 

• Joe Horn, Saints (4); Andre Rison, Falcons (4); Steve Smith, Panthers (4)
• Alfred Jenkins, Falcons (2); Muhsin Muhammad, Panthers (2); Roddy White, Falcons (2)

 

Tight end 

 

• Wesley Walls, Panthers (5)
• Alge Crumpler, Falcons (4); Jimmie Giles, Bucs (4)
• Junior Miller, Falcons (2); Jim Mitchell, Falcons (2)

 

Offensive tackle

 

• Willie Roaf, Saints (7)
• Mike Kenn, Falcons (5); George Kunz, Falcons (5)
• Jammal Brown, Saints (2); Jordan Gross, Panthers (2)

 

Offensive guard

 

• Bill Fralic, Falcons (4)
• R.C. Thielemann, Falcons (3)
• Jahri Evans, Saints (2)

 

Center

 

• Jeff Van Note, Falcons (5)
• Tony Mayberry, Bucs (3)

 

Defensive tackle

 

• Warren Sapp, Bucs (7)
• Kris Jenkins, Panthers (3)
• La'Roi Glover, Saints (2)

 

Defensive end

 

• Claude Humphrey, Falcons (6); Lee Roy Selmon, Bucs (6)
• Julius Peppers, Panthers (5)
• Kevin Greene, Panthers (2); Joe Johnson, Saints (2); Simeon Rice, Bucs (2)

 

Middle linebacker

 

• Hardy Nickerson, Bucs (5); Tommy Nobis, Falcons (5); Jessie Tuggle, Falcons (5)
• Keith Brooking, Falcons (4); Vaughan Johnson, Saints (4); Sam Mills, Saints (4)

 

Outside linebacker

 

• Derrick Brooks, Bucs (11)
• Rickey Jackson, Saints (6)
• Pat Swilling, Saints (4)
• Hugh Green, Bucs (2)

 

Cornerback

 

• Ronde Barber, Bucs (5)
• Deion Sanders, Falcons (3)
• DeAngelo Hall, Falcons (2)

 

Free safety

 

• Elbert Shelley, Falcons (4)

 

Strong safety

 

• John Lynch, Bucs (5)

 

Kicker

 

• Morten Andersen, Saints (6)

 

Punter

 

• John James, Falcons (3); Todd Sauerbrun, Panthers (3)

 

Kick returner

 

• Michael Bates, Panthers (5)