Lions WR Calvin Johnson and Vikings DE Jared Allen get highest votes to secure spot in All-Pro roster - NFL News
Making the Associated Press All-Pro team is an honour all National Football League (NFL) Players want to receive at least once in their career. 16 players from the National Football Conference (NFC) and 12 from the American Football Conference (AFC) made
it to the list.
The 2011 team was announced on Friday January 6th 2012 with Calvin Johnson of Detroit Lions and Jared Allen of Minnesota Vikings received the highest number of votes.
The Detroit Lions wide receiver has had a brilliant 2011-12 season as he helped the Lions to a first playoff berth since 1999. Johnson has covered the highest number of receiving yards with 1,681 in the NFL this season and has combined impressively with
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to score 16 touchdowns.
Johnson felt honoured at receiving a place in the All-Pro roster and couldn’t contain his excitement at the feat.
"That's sweet," he said, "That's one of the best honours you can have other than being a Super Bowl champion. To be an All-Pro is a tremendous honour."
Jared Allen of Minnesota Vikings also was proud of his achievement. The 29-year old had a great 2011 season even though the Vikings ended the year with a poor 3-13 record equalling the worst record in the franchise’s history. Allen made 66 tackles and 22
sacks as he came closest to breaking Michael Strahan’s 2001 single season sack record missing out by just a single sack to create a new record.
"The All-Pro Team to me is one of the all-time accomplishments. Pro Bowls are nice, but guys get voted in longer than they should and guys who deserve to go don't always get to. It's the whole league. It's not just an AFC and NFC thing. So to me this is
the honor I hold the highest. It's something to put on the resume and tell the grandkids about."
Allen and Johnson both received 49 votes and they could have been unanimous picks but for a single vote. The list contains some of the biggest names in the league with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers making the list with far greater votes than
his closest competitor New Orleans Saints Drew Brees.
Rodgers who had a Most Valuable Player (MVP) calibre season helped the Packers remain unbeaten through most of the regular season and achieve a 15-1 record. Rodgers received 47 votes to Brees’s three to make the team. The Packers quarterback is rated highest
in the NFL rankings with 122.5 as he helped the Packers gain a first seed spot in this year’s playoff rounds.
The Saints however, do have two representatives in the All-Pro team with both of their Guards Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans making the roster. This is the first time since 1953 that two players for the same position and from the same team have made the roster.
With some of the best players in the league making the All-Pro roster it remains to be seen if they can continue their form into the postseason.
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