DT Richard Seymour, CB Nnamdi Asomugha and P Shane Lechler have named to the 2011 Pro Bowl squad.
Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, punter Shane Lechler and defensive tackle Richard Seymour have been named to the 2011 Pro Bowl squad, the NFL announced today. Kicker Sebastian Janikowski, defensive tackle Tommy Kelly, running back Darren McFadden and tight end Zach Miller were named Pro Bowl alternates for the January 30, 2011 game in Honolulu.
"I am excited and happy for the Raiders who have been selected for the Pro Bowl," said Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable. "It's tremendous that they are being recognized as the best at their positions. They deserve it and the Raiders organization is proud of them. The Raiders have rich history and tradition and these players exemplify what it means to wear the Silver and Black."
This is Lechler's sixth Pro Bowl selection. He ranks first in the AFC and second in the NFL in punting with a 47-yard average. His 40.6-yard net punting average leads the AFC and ranks second in the NFL. Lechler has 850 career punts for 40,195 yards in 11 pro seasons. He was the Raiders fifth-round draft pick out of Texas A&M in 2000. His 47.3-yard career punting average is the highest in NFL history for players with at least 250 attempts.
For Asomugha, this year's selection is the third straight and fourth of his eight-year NFL career. He was selected in both 2008 and 2009 and was an addition to the 2006 Pro Bowl squad after being named an alternate, but did not make the game due to the late notification. Asomugha was one of two Raiders first round selections in the 2003 NFL Draft after playing collegiately at Cal. He has six passes defensed this season and 11 career interceptions. He tied for third in the NFL with eight interceptions during the 2006 season.
This is the sixth career Pro Bowl selection for Seymour and his first with the Silver and Black. The 10-year NFL veteran earned five straight Pro Bowl selections as a member of the New England Patriots from 2002-06. He was a Pro Bowl alternate last season. Seymour joined the Raiders via a trade with the Patriots prior to the 2009 season after playing eight seasons in New England. The veteran defender has totaled 48.5 career sacks, including 9.5 sacks as a member of the Raiders, including 5.5 in 2010.
TE Zach Miller (80), RB Darren McFadden (20), DT Tommy Kelly (93) and K Sebastian Janikowski (11) have been named as alternates for the 2011 Pro Bowl. Photos by Tony Gonzales.
Janikowski is the Raiders all-time leading scorer with 1,135 points and broke the team's single-season scoring mark with 135 points this season.
Miller leads the team with 55 receptions and has moved into third place on the Raiders career receptions list for tight ends with 221 catches.
McFadden has rushed for 1,157 yards this season, the fifth most in Raiders history, and ranks second on the team with 47 receptions for 507 yards.
Kelly has established a career-high and is tied for the team lead with seven sacks this season. His sack total currently ranks second amongst NFL defensive tackles.
The Raiders have had 175 Pro Bowl selections among 59 different players since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
Log on later this afternoon for exclusive interviews with Raiders Pro Bowlers.
