Clabo, Bryant are first alternates for the Pro Bowl
Tyson Clabo (right), Harvey Dahl and Todd McClure and Justin Blalock (Sam Baker not pictured) received kudos from Coach John Madden. (Curtis Compton, ccompton@ajc.com)
FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons Pro Bowl contingent could swell to nine members.
Right tackle Tyson Clabo and place kicker Matt Bryant are first alternates at their positions, according to the Falcons.
“It’s an honor to be in that group,” Clabo said on Thursday. “It’s a good deal.”
Clabo and Bryant would take the place of players at their position it they can’t play because of injury in the all-star game set to be played on Jan. 30 in Hawaii.
However, the Falcons hope they are not playing in the Pro Bowl, because it’s the week before the Super Bowl.
“I have no intention of being out there, but even still it’s an honor to be in that group of guys,” Clabo said.
Falcons kicker Matt Bryant (3) kicks the game winning field goal that defeated the 49ers 16-14 on Sunday, Oct 3, 2010 inside the Georgia Dome. Johnny Crawford / jcrawford@ajc.com
Seven Falcons were selected to NFC team, but most were happy for specialist Eric Weems, a former undrafted free agent, making the team.
“Nobody works harder than Eric Weems,” quarterback Matt Ryan said. “He does so many things for us on special teams. He gets a lot of attention for returning kicks. . . he makes a lot of tackles for us on coverage units. He’s kind of an unsung guy. For him to get in is very special.”
Ryan, Weems, running backs Michael Turner and Ovie Mughelli, wide receiver Roddy White, tight end Tony Gonzalez and defensive end John Abraham were selected to the NFC team.
“It’s really a team award even though individuals get to go,” Turner said. “It shows how well we developed as a team over the year.”
That Clabo is a fast alternate was good news to the offensive line, which was not represented on the all-star team.
“I think all five of those guys will tell you the reason that the five of us are in the Pro Bowl is because of the guys up front and because of what they did,” Ryan said. “I think offensive football starts with the front five and our guys have done well all year.”
–D. Orlando Ledbetter
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58 comments Add your comment
LegionOfDome
December 30th, 2010
2:24 pm
Congrats to those guys, I guess. The Pro Bowl is…stupid.
Jesse
December 30th, 2010
2:28 pm
I bet Sam Baker never makes a Pro Bowl…
Rocky Z
December 30th, 2010
2:44 pm
I hope Roddy Wite gets more passes in the playoffs than the recent Saaints game…
Stupid call by Smith to punt the ball to the Saints on 4th & 6 with 3:00 left… They should have went for it.
Weems shines some games but disappears many games. He’s not really a special teams all-star like Devin Hester.
Rocky Z
December 30th, 2010
2:47 pm
Atlanta needs a d-lineman,tight end (to learn from Gonzalez),and a young kicker to take Bryant’s place from the draft.
Shimmy Shammy
December 30th, 2010
2:51 pm
Yo, whaddup freaks ?
Shimmy Shammy
December 30th, 2010
2:52 pm
Kinda weird with Roddy White being black and Clint Black being white.
Larry Simpson
December 30th, 2010
2:58 pm
so many sports fans with sports knowledge. so many sports fans with no sports common sense.
SeenThisB4
December 30th, 2010
3:04 pm
Last year, Coach Smith went for it on 4th down and 2, with the game winding down, and Turner got stuffed by Vilma with only a 1 yard gain. This time it was 4th and 6, and the way Turner was getting stuffed the entire game, odds were, the falcan’ts would have turned it over on downs again.
GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME!!
Louise The Sleeze
December 30th, 2010
3:11 pm
A quick slant to Roddy on 4th & 6 woulda worked…
Paul H
December 30th, 2010
3:12 pm
This time we were 1-1 against the AINTS and STILL control #1 seed with a win on Sunday.
Congratulations seenthisB4 and all other AINTS fans, your win the other day is virtually MEANINGLESS.
Louise The Sleeze
December 30th, 2010
3:13 pm
If the Vikings can beat the Eagles the Falcons should too…
coloradobulldog
December 30th, 2010
3:14 pm
Hey SeenThisB4, it was Snelling. Tuner nor Ryan played in that game. We bet you in your house. You beat us in our’s. But money is on the Falcons to rise up and whup your butts if (big IF) you get by Rams.
And Rocky Z, yeah right TD is gonna waste a draft pick on a K to replace a pro-bowl alternate who won what 3 games for us this year.
Louise The Sleeze
December 30th, 2010
3:16 pm
Falcons played too tight against the Saints. Jenkins caught more passes than White did which is a big problem. Gonzalez caught like 2 passes all game. Poor game plan…
Louise The Sleeze
December 30th, 2010
3:17 pm
A kicker in the 7th round isn’t a bad pick. Bryant is like 38 years-old.
Louise The Sleeze
December 30th, 2010
3:18 pm
Rocky Z knows a lot about the Falcons roster apparently.
joewhite
December 30th, 2010
3:19 pm
Great news now brent should be in he a great player.
Paul H
December 30th, 2010
3:19 pm
Everyone already knew the AINTS had a degenerate, moronic, low-life fanbase. Then the AINTS proved the other night that the fans reflect the team!
SeenThisB4
December 30th, 2010
3:20 pm
@colordobulldog: Yeah, it was Snelling. But this time it would have been Turner, and he would have been stuffed. And a slant to White,…, nope, Smith doesn’t have the cajones for that. He was obviously playing not to lose, (from behind!) instead of playing to win. Out-coached.
GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME!!
Louise The Sleeze
December 30th, 2010
3:20 pm
Falcons (if they are a true # 1 seed) should beat Carolina like 35-10 but watch they will win it on a last second field goal 24-21.
Louise The Sleeze
December 30th, 2010
3:23 pm
Falcons playoff tickets should have been sold in groups no more than 4 per person but the scalpers bought them up and put them on Ebay and Stub-Hub.
screw dat
December 30th, 2010
3:23 pm
you dont run on 4th and 6 anyway stupid. smith made the right call yall just made the right plays at the right time. congrats but it wont happen again when and if you can beat the rams or seahawks to get here again. remember you did lose to the browns and arizona and we wont lose to carolina #1 in the south and the whole nfc. so go chew on some oil battered shrimp and breath in the pee air. and tell that fat a** ayodelle he f**ked up cause its on now
ignition
December 30th, 2010
3:24 pm
Brent Grimes deserves to be on the Pro Bowl roster as well.
Louise The Sleeze
December 30th, 2010
3:24 pm
If Smith punts 4th & 6 in playoffs losing with 3:00 left he should be fired.
SeenThisB4
December 30th, 2010
3:27 pm
@screw dat: I don’t expect your team to lose to Carolina. I guess you’re assumming your team is going to get past the Pack!
GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME!!
Scrimp Da Pimp
December 30th, 2010
3:28 pm
Yo homies whaddups my peeps ? Falconz scrate up halvesteppin like sum lil beetches. True dat bout dem Saints. Dey punked dem Falcons fare and squeer. I gots my playoffs ticks froms Lil Waynz daddy’s baby.
screw dat
December 30th, 2010
3:29 pm
if they come back yes if not then good luck to yall
Scrimp Da Pimp
December 30th, 2010
3:31 pm
Grimez gets slapped round all game by dem catchers den picks a few bad troes an sposed to bees a pro baller ?
Professor
December 30th, 2010
3:33 pm
It is highly apparent that the intellectual level of this blod has taken a demonstrative nosedive to the utter gutter of the abyss.
Professor
December 30th, 2010
3:34 pm
Yeah, I meant blod. Its not a blog…
Scrimp Da Pimp
December 30th, 2010
3:36 pm
Whuts abys and demonscratives means ?
Sammy Davis III
December 30th, 2010
3:41 pm
Mr. Ledbetter, can you ask Mr. Smith why he punted on 4th and 6 with 3:00 left when Brees was unstoppable in the 4th quarter ? You must agree that it was the wrong call ?
Ivan
December 30th, 2010
3:58 pm
Sammy @ 3:41pm
Coach Smith has already addressed that:
“Definitely thought it was the right thing to do. It was fourth down and six with the ball out their 38, 39-yard line maybe even a little bit further out. But on fourth and six we felt like the way that we’d been playing defensively and we had two timeouts and we hopefully could wrap one around the two-minute warning. Unfortunately, we didn’t get it done there at the end.”
truth
December 30th, 2010
4:03 pm
Congrats Seen, your team is 1st loser in our division. Are you assuming the aints will get pass the Seagulls? I know you won’t get pass the Bucs.
Bucs 24
aints 17
truth
December 30th, 2010
4:04 pm
Ok I’ll wait for your silly reply.
Snoopy
December 30th, 2010
4:46 pm
Look, the FALCONS WILL WIN this Sunday – Jan 2, 2011…
We’ll have earned home field until our “date in Dallas”…
Hold serve from here on… Game On!!
Dr. Warren
December 30th, 2010
4:50 pm
Matt Ryan is a class guy, and he shows it again here.
Willy
December 30th, 2010
4:55 pm
@Rocky Z – We need to draft a kicker to replace our good one?
Singletary
December 30th, 2010
5:00 pm
Snoopy — I hope your words reflect what will happen. I do wish Dahl and Grimes made the Pro Bowl, but I’m going to save all other wishes for Tony G to have a Super Bowl ring.
Paddy
December 30th, 2010
5:35 pm
Rocky Z…..draft a kicker to replace one named to the Pro Bowl. I think I known how you got your name!
Innocent Bystander
December 30th, 2010
5:38 pm
Still can’t believe no Grimes… He’s been remarkable this year. Great to see guys like him put in the effort that pays off on the field.
Overall, very happy with 7 Falcons being selected to the team. Too bad none of ‘em will play!!
Mike
December 30th, 2010
5:45 pm
Scrimp da pimp…lol sounds like your a 3 ft tall decorated pimp…kinda like it. I envision you wearing some god awful gold and black velvet suit with matching hat with your krunk cup in hand filled to the brim with some of the sizurp….think I got it all there but was wondering when you learned to use a computer??? Normal people dont talk like that(must be too much sizurp) thanks for showing the rest of the world how un-educated you really are and how un-classy Saints fans really are….Go Falcons!!!!
Supes
December 30th, 2010
5:47 pm
Can’t believe Todd McClure wasn’t named at least as an Alternate for the Center position in the pro bowl. Good for Clabo, but leaving McClure out is a slap to the face of the Falcons and our running game…and yes I’m aware that Todd had a huge mistake in the Saints game (those are what, once a decade from him)…but he’s an All Pro to Falcons Fans!
I like Clabo’s statement…that the Falcons aren’t going to be at the game b/c they’ll have other “plans” at the time.
Go Falcons all the way to Dallas!
mark
December 30th, 2010
6:10 pm
Congrats !!!
CONSPIRACY THEORY
December 30th, 2010
6:18 pm
CONSPIRACY THEORY (WHAT IF TODD MCCLURES FUMBLE HAS TO DO WITH HIS TIES TO LSU????) HUMMM?? THE Falcons first piece OF business is to get a change of pace runningback with break away speed who is not afraid to hit the corner and the hole!!! and it is robbery not to put grimes in the pro bowl,,, D. Hall had one good game this year???
Najeh Davenpoop
December 30th, 2010
7:36 pm
Grimes not being on there is really surprising. He’s probably been one of the three best players on the team this year.
Larry
December 30th, 2010
8:08 pm
Najeh,
Grimes has indeed played well but “one of the three best players?”
Not better than Ryan, White, Turner, Gonzales, Abraham or Lofton.
Tweets that mention Clabo, Bryant are first alternates for the Pro Bowl -- Topsy.com
December 30th, 2010
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Tweets that mention Falcons could have nine Pro Bowlers, but all would rather pass and play in Super Bowl -- Topsy.com
December 30th, 2010
8:29 pm
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Mountain Falcon
December 30th, 2010
8:31 pm
it’s a popularity contest. making all-pro is more important.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 30th, 2010
8:42 pm
All-Pro is voted on by journalists, which by definition makes it a popularity contest. At least coaches and players have 2/3 of the Pro Bowl vote.
Atl Resident
December 30th, 2010
8:59 pm
The pro bowl is so overated. Grimes should be there no doubts about it. And this is why I stop watching the pro bowl years ago.
drobe1
December 30th, 2010
10:36 pm
for the life of me i cannot believe that they pick deangelo hall as a starting cornerback over brent grimes. grimes deserve to go over hall in my book because he as proven himself this year.
gcs
December 31st, 2010
12:27 am
The Nasty Boys (Clabo, Dahl, McClure, Blalock & Baker) are the best & most underrated OL in the NFL!
.
the one and only Falcons fan in Taiwan
December 31st, 2010
2:50 am
all the falcons fans and saints fan who is talkin’ trash on these blogs are stupid…Classy fans can’t be so arrogant like yall. They only share their thoughts, show their support to those teams they rooted for, and most importantly, they respect every other teams in the NFL…
Falster
December 31st, 2010
9:50 am
Ya know guys…it’s obvious not only to us FALCONS fans but also to people like Howie Long that this organization is top notch and this year is huge for the team! Funny…seems like only LAST YEAR, it was the New Orleans AINTS time…but, now, this year, even the Las Vegas odds makers are proclaiming it the year of the FALCON!
drmondo
December 31st, 2010
9:58 am
Congrats to the players making the Pro Bowl.
RE: the picture/peeing incident with NO:
Let’s just expect our team to remember this incident and play full-out if they meet again in the playoffs. No playing safe, go out there and embarrass the Saints on the field. Do it again next year, and the year after that…They should always be motivated to beat the classless saints by 30+. Remember that onsides kick? Return the favor. If you’re up by 2 scores with 2 minutes left, go for another. Take pictures right after the win in front of their bench (when playing in ATL) and on their emblem at their field.
NO HOLDS BARRED. I want to see the Smitty that went toe to toe with MeAngelo, the guy who was willing to fight for his players. Mularkey, you’re an offensive guru. Come up with a gameplan that will score 30+ against the saints. No prevent defense. No prevent offense. We need to have one of those games NE pulls off against their top foes where they win 38-7. I want to see NO afraid to even step on the field with ATL because they know they’re going to be embarrassed.
Jack J
December 31st, 2010
10:38 am
Hope all mentioned above play in game!
suggestion on 2011 braves draft…. need a scat rb… D. Scott Md.; Lattimore S.Carl.; Carter Syc. or their choice of best rb available when their pick comes up!
Scooter
December 31st, 2010
11:37 am
@SeenThisB4- what in the world makes you think they would have handed the ball to Turner on 4th and 6th? It would have been an obvious passing situation. Clearly was the wrong decision to punt. Ryan to Roddy White or Tony Gonzales…..easy first down. We got em next time! Rise Up!