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HONOLULU — Going to the Pro Bowl isn’t quite what it used to be.
The game has changed much over the past few years, from being played the week before the Super Bowl to no longer being about conference affiliation but about whether or not NFL Hall of Fame players and Pro Bowl captains Jerry Rice or Deion Sanders wanted you on their teams more.
Just as Rice’s teams frequently did when he was with the San Francisco 49ers, his team found a way to come back and win the Pro Bowl, beating Sanders’ team 22-21 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.
Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith, a Utah alumnus, competed 9 of 22 passes for Team Rice, throwing a touchdown and an interception. Team Rice trailed with less than two minutes to go, but Smith led his team down the field for the winning touchdown, which came on a 20-yard pass to Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray.
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Former Utah offensive lineman Jordan Gross also played for Team Rice.
Eric Weddle, the All-Pro safety from San Diego, played for one of the NFL’s all-time best defensive backs on Team Deion Sanders. Weddle made a tackle in his second Pro Bowl appearance.
Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles won the game’s Offensive MVP award, while Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson won the game’s Defensive MVP award.
