With Cody Parkey's addition to the Pro Bowl roster on Monday, nine Eagles have been selected to the NFL's all-star game ...
Cody Parkey's biggest kick was his game-winner against his former team, the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2
Cody Parkey set an NFL rookie record with 150 points, also the most by any kicker in Eagles history. Parkey finished second in the NFL in scoring, first in the NFC.
Cody Parkey becomes the ninth Eagle selected to go to the Pro Bowl. It's the most by any NFC team and the highest total by the Eagles since following the 2009 season
WR Jeremy Maclin will make his first Pro Bowl appearance
Maclin is replacing Denver wide reciever Demaryius Thomas on the Pro Bowl roster
Maclin posted his first 1,000-yard season as an Eagle and won the team's Ed Block Courage Award in 2014
This is Jon Dorenbos' second Pro Bowl appearance
Dorenbos was also named a member of Pro Football Focus' All-Pro Special Teams group
Dorenbos snapped all season longg for Cody Parkey, who set an NFL rookie record with 150 points in 2014
This will be Evan Mathis' second straight Pro Bowl appearance
After missing seven games with a knee injury, Mathis quickly rebounded back to Pro-Bowl form
Mathis joins offensive linemates Jason Peters and Jason Kelce on this year's Pro Bowl roster
This is Connor Barwin's first All-Pro selection
Barwin ranks fourth in the NFL and first in the NFC with 14.5 sacks
Barwin has also recorded 80 tackles and two forced fumbles on the season
This is also the first Pro Bowl appearance for Jason Kelce
Kelce played just two games in 2012 due to a knee injury, but has since rebounded in Pro Bowl style
Kelce signed a new seven-year contract wth the Eagles last offseason
This is the third Pro Bowl selection for LeSean McCoy
McCoy set the Eagles franchise rushing record in 2014, passing Wilbert Montgomery
McCoy currently has 6,693 rushing yards in 89 career games
This is Jason Peters' sixth All-Pro selection
Peters signed a new contract with the Eagles following the 20131 season that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2018
Peters has been the steady presence on an offensive line plagued by injuries in 2014
This is Darren Sproles' first All-Pro selection
Sproles has won three NFC Player of the Week Awarads in 2014 (two for special teams, one for offense)
Sproles has set a career best this season with 481 punt return yards
For Jeremy Maclin, it's always been about the team. That's why even after one of the best seasons by a wide receiver in Eagles history, Maclin's main thought at the end of the year was that the team was on the outside looking in come playoff time.
"It's bittersweet. Obviously, to be able to come back and perform has been great, but you want to be playing after December," Maclin said before the regular season finale in December. "That's what it boils down to."
It turns out Maclin was wrong. He will be playing football after December at the site of the Super Bowl, no less. On Friday night, the NFL announced that Maclin will replace Denver's Demaryius Thomas at the Pro Bowl. It is Maclin's first Pro Bowl nomination and it comes after missing the entire 2013 campaign with an ACL injury.
"I think back to the injury and the days after and it was very hard. I put in a lot of time alongside guys like Jason Phillips, Arrelious Benn and Philip Hunt, who are gone from the team now. I want to thank the entire training staff for helping me, with a particular nod to Joe O'Pella for the work and the time he put in with me. The coaching staff and the entire organization really supported me. My family was there for me the whole time, as they always are. It was truly a group effort and I recognize that," said Maclin after being named the team's recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award in October.
Maclin finished with career highs in receptions (85) and yards receiving (1,318). He tied a career high with 10 touchdowns. It was the first 1,000-yard season for the 2009 first-round draft pick. Maclin's receiving-yardage total was the third best in team history and his reception total was fourth.
With Maclin's combination of size, speed, athleticism and tenacity, it's no surprise that he has flourished in the Eagles' offense. The road to Friday's announcement began on July 28, 2013 - the day after Maclin's season-ending injury.
"The injury happened on a Saturday and I was devastated. I was emotional. I talked to my family, I talked to my mom, I talked to Chip Kelly and I talked to Howie Roseman and then, and this is the truth, I put it all behind me the next day. I accepted that it happened and I set about attacking the work that was ahead of me.
"It certainly wasn't easy. There were plenty of rough days. There were days when I didn't feel like working and days when I was sore and times when my knee felt so bad that I thought that I would never get back to where I was prior to the injury. All of that and more went through my mind."
Maclin's teammates bestowed upon him the Ed Block Courage Award and they were not one bit surprised to see him be the focal point of the third-best passing attack in the NFC.
"He possesses a different element to the game, so you've got to really cover this guy on his routes. He's a guy that can take a hit, and if you miss the tackle he can go 80 yards for a touchdown. He's the best guy we've got on the team," said cornerback Cary Williams. "Ever since I've been here, he's been a hard worker. He's been one of the most diligent guys on the offense in my opinion. Barring the injury, I thought he was going to have great success last year. It's just unfortunate that he had an injury and was forced to sit out. So this year, it's really no surprise. I've seen his hard work and what he puts into it. He deserves everything he's going to get."
Maclin opened the season with a 68-yard touchdown in the win over Jacksonville, but it was in Week 3 against division-rival Washington when he truly declared that he was back. Maclin posted eight catches for 154 yards and the go-ahead fourth-quarter touchdown in the win. Maclin had four 100-yard games including back-to-back 150-yard, two-touchdown outings against Arizona and Houston.
"To be part of this team and this organization, it's just great. I've always wanted to be someone that my teammates and coaches can always rely on, and I have done that," Maclin said. "I want to be out there and be reliable for my team and that's pretty much all I can do." !
