About This Quiz
Ask any player, and they'll tell you that team accomplishments are more important than any individual recognitions, even selections to the Pro Bowl. But even if a Super Bowl ring is the ultimate goal, legacies are built by more than just championships, especially for players who spend most of their careers playing for bad teams. The NFL isn't the NBA, after all, and one player will never elevate a team to championship status without help. That's why the Pro Bowl is a recognition that any player should be honored to receive.Â
Of course, the greatest players, the ones who become legends, are honored with multiple Pro Bowl selections. Be it making the Pro Bowl every year of their careers or just the dominant years in their primes, these stars cemented their legacies by proving they should be included on a year to year bases in a game with the greatest of their peers.
Are you ready to test your knowledge on these legends and their Pro Bowl accomplishments? From career record setters to single game stars, this quiz covers them all. If you think you have what it takes, take a shot at this quiz and find out if you can walk away with a victory.
Because Tom Brady has played in nine Super Bowls, he often has to miss the Pro Bowl even when he's selected for the game. However, Brady would probably take his six championships over any individual awards, a major reason he's so great.
Ray Lewis always left his impact on a game, which is why he was selected to 13 Pro Bowls before he retired. To go along with his Pro Bowl selections in 2000 and 2003, Lewis was also named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Larry Fitzgerald has been a common face at the Pro Bowl throughout his NFL career, making 11 total appearances. As a Pro Bowl regular, Fitzgerald has had plenty of opportunities to rack up touchdowns, setting the Pro Bowl record by recording eight of them.
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Known as a ballhawk, Deion Sanders recorded an interception in the 1999 Pro Bowl that he returned 87 yards. That 87-yard return along with his four career interceptions are both Pro Bowl records.
O.J. Simpson reached the Pro Bowl during the 1973 season after becoming the first running back to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. Simpson finished the year with 2,003 rushing yards, while averaging 143.1 rushing yards per game.
Adrian Peterson's rookie season was filled with accolades after he rushed for 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns. To recognize his accomplishments that year, Peterson was both selected to his first Pro Bowl while also being named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
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Tony Gonzalez has more Pro Bowl receptions than any receiver in the history of the game. With 49 receptions in total, Gonzalez was able to rack up 746 receiving yards, another Pro Bowl record.
A seven-time Pro Bowler, Michael Strahan probably had the best season of his career in 2001. That season, he set an NFL record for sacks by taking the quarterback down 22.5 times, earning him the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.
Walter Payton only missed the Pro Bowl four times in his 13-year NFL career. By the time that career was over, Payton was the all-time leader in rushing yards, though that record has since been passed.
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Jason Witten made his 11th Pro Bowl in 2017, retiring after the season came to a close. However, seeing the potential in the Dallas Cowboys roster, Witten returned in 2019, hoping to finish off his career with a championship.
Aside from his 10 Pro Bowl appearances, Lawrence Taylor also racked up a slew of other accomplishments during his time in the NFL. A two-time Super Bowl champion, Taylor won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards and is the only linebacker to ever win the NFL MVP.
Of the 196 passes Peyton Manning threw in the Pro Bowl, he completed 115 of them, both Pro Bowl records. He had his highest number of pass attempts in 2004, throwing 41 total passes but only completing 22 of them.
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While playing in the Pro Bowl in 2000, Randy Moss set a Pro Bowl record with 212 receiving yards in one game. That record came after a regular season where Moss caught 80 passes for 1,413 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Considering Jerry Rice sits atop the record books in multiple categories, it's no wonder that he's a Pro Bowl legend with 13 appearances. Rice consistently led the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, all of which he holds career records for.
Rich Gannon will most likely never make the Hall of Fame, but he did have a few seasons where he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Between 1999 and 2002, Gannon was selected to four straight Pro Bowls, which included an NFL MVP in 2002.
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Champ Bailey has more Pro Bowl appearances than any other cornerback in the history of the NFL with 15. He made his final Pro Bowl in the 2012 season while playing for the Denver Broncos, recording two of his 52 career interceptions that year.
During the middle of his prime, Charles Woodson had several injury filled seasons that caused him to miss making the Pro Bowl. However, once he was fully recovered, Woodson was back to making Pro Bowls annually, earning a place in the game five times in the latter part of his career.
Emmitt Smith was known for his durability which contributed to his longevity in the NFL, as he played 15 seasons at a consistently high level. By the time he retired, Smith had more carries and rushing yards than any other running back to ever play the game.
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Between 1995 and 1997, Brett Favre earned three of his 11 Pro Bowl selections. However, his contributions were further honored when he became the only player in NFL history to win three straight NFL MVPs.
Michael Irvin played his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys, becoming one of their biggest stars during the '90s. Named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, Irvin won three Super Bowls and was elected to five Pro Bowls.
Jim Brown only played nine NFL seasons, but that was enough time for him to become one of the biggest stars in NFL history. He led the NFL in rushing yards eight times and rushing touchdowns five times, earning him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Nicknamed "The Comeback Kid," Joe Montana was always at his best in the biggest moments when the pressure was at the highest. He proved this by winning four Super Bowls, where he was named the Super Bowl MVP on three occasions.
Even after Junior Seau made his final Pro Bowl in 2002, he continued to play in the NFL at a high level through 2009, though injuries hampered his last two seasons. The only accomplishment the Hall of Fame linebacker didn't achieve was winning a Super Bowl.
Barry Sanders might have continued making Pro Bowls had he not retired early from the NFL because of problems he had with the Detroit Lions' organization. In his final season, Sanders still rushed for 1,491 yards on a career-high 343 carries.
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Derrick Brooks made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers proud by earning 11 Pro Bowl selections during his 14-year career. His 2002 season was one for the ages, as he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year while also winning the Super Bowl.
Brandon Marshall had one of his best performances in the Pro Bowl during 2012, while he was representing the Miami Dolphins. In the game, Marshall recorded four touchdowns, scoring a record 24 points in one game.
Ed Reed is best known for his time with the Baltimore Ravens, where he earned all nine of his Pro Bowl appearances. However, he spent his last season splitting time between the Houston Texans and New York Jets before retiring as the NFL leader in interception return yards.
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Standing 6 feet, 3 inches tall, Dick Butkus could do it all on the defensive side of the football field. He had excellent coverage skills, picking up both tight ends and running backs on passing routes, while also running sideline to sideline to make tackles.
Dan Marino proved he was an explosive talent during his rookie season in the NFL in 1983. It took the Miami Dolphins a few games to name Marino the full-time starter, but once they did, Marino started throwing touchdown after touchdown, making his way into the Pro Bowl as a rookie.
For 15 seasons, Reggie White served as "The Minister of Defense" in the NFL, earning his way into 13 Pro Bowls. White was particularly great at pass rushing, where he finished second all-time in career sacks with 198.
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It took John Elway a few seasons to establish himself in the NFL as an elite passer, but by his fourth season, the first year he made the Pro Bowl, Elway was clearly one of the best quarterbacks in the league. That year, he threw for 3,485 yards and rushed for another 257.
Victor Cruz made his only Pro Bowl appearance following his Super Bowl victory with the New York Giants during the 2011 NFL season. However, Cruz showed up to play at the Pro Bowl that year, setting a record by making 10 receptions in the game.
David Akers not only made six Pro Bowls but also made six All-Pro teams. One of the greatest accomplishments during his career was a 63-yard field goal, the longest field goal in 49ers history, which he kicked in 2012 against the Green Bay Packers.
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Jim Otto played in the precursor to the Pro Bowl from 1961 through 1969. When the modern Pro Bowl began in 1970, Otto was elected to the first three games, cementing his place in NFL history.
Marshall Faulk's greatest Pro Bowl appearance came in 1995, which was the second time he was selected to play in the game. During the 1995 Pro Bowl, Faulk set a record by rushing for 180 yards, earning the Pro Bowl MVP.
It was Bruce Smith's ability to pressure the quarterback that helped the defensive end make 11 Pro Bowls. When Smith finally called it quits after the 2003 season, he was the all-time leader in sacks with 200.
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Drafted with the ninth overall pick in 1983, it took Bruce Matthews a few seasons to get his feet under him, but when the Hall of Fame offensive lineman reached his prime, he was unstoppable. Not only did he make 14 straight Pro Bowls, but he was also elected as a first-team All-Pro nine times.
Playing his entire career with the Los Angeles Rams, Merlin Olsen only missed the Pro Bowl during his final NFL season. However, he did help the team reach the NFC Championship Game that year, but they lost to the Minnesota Vikings, bringing his career to a close.
Mel Blount was part of a dominant Pittsburgh Steelers defense throughout the '70s that won four Super Bowls. During those championship runs, Blount made four of his five Pro Bowls, including a Defensive Player of the Year award in 1975.
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Ty Law played the best football of his career with the New England Patriots, making four of his five Pro Bowls with the team. On top of his individual awards, Law also won three Super Bowls in New England, helping establish the Patriots dynasty that continued long after he retired.