Skip to main content

Pro Bowl shows short NFL players cast a big shadow

HONOLULU -- Who says the NFL is a big man's sport? Certainly not anyone who witnessed Sunday's Pro Bowl.

In a game that appropriately had Doug Flutie as a sideline reporter, three players 6-feet or under had big games for the NFC, which rolled over the AFC, 62-35.

Flutie: Short players get shaft

Former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie thinks the NFL has a bias against shorter players, Ian Rapoport writes. **More...**

» New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (6-feet) set a Pro Bowl record with 10 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. The previous record was held by Randy Moss, who caught nine passes in the 2000 game for a record 212 yards.

» New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (6-feet) started for the NFC and passed for 131 yards and a TD before giving way to Eli Manning. Brees finished with an approaching-perfect passer rating of 142.6.

» Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (5-foot-11) completed an efficient 8 of 10 passes for 98 yards and three touchdowns. The rookie even eclipsed Brees with a passer rating of 147.1.

Even Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas (5-foot-10) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin (5-foot-9) chipped in. Thomas intercepted a pass that led to one of Wilson's touchdowns, and Martin was on the receiving end of a Wilson TD pass that was intended for MVP Kyle Rudolph.

"We were talking on the sideline about how hard Earl goes," Wilson said after the game. "All of us compete hard."

Andy Fenelon is a senior editor at NFL.com. You can follow him on Twitter @Andy_Fenelon.