The NFL released its Pro Bowl rosters Tuesday, with seven former Camping World Bowl participants among the 86 players selected to appear in the game, which will take place on Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. at Camping World Stadium.
Included in that list is 2000 and 2003 Camping World Bowl MVP Philip Rivers, a seventh-time Pro Bowl selection, and 2010 game MVP Russell Wilson, a fourth-time Pro Bowl pick. The full list of Camping World Bowl alumni on this year’s AFC and NFC rosters can be found in chronological order below:
• QB Philip Rivers (2000, 2001, 2003 — North Carolina State)
• C Rodney Hudson (2008 — Florida State)
• C Travis Frederick (2009 — Wisconsin)
• TE Jimmy Graham (2009 — Miami)
• QB Russell Wilson (2010 — North Carolina State)
• OG Zack Martin (2011 — Notre Dame)
• CB Xavier Rhodes (2011 — Florida State)
In the 2000 game, known at the time as the MicronPC.com Bowl, Rivers threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns as the Wolfpack rallied from a 24-0 deficit to win 38-30. The following year, Rivers threw for 189 yards and a score in the Visit Florida Tangerine Bowl, the game’s first edition to be played in Orlando.
In 2003, Rivers set Camping World Bowl records for completions (37), completion percentage (82.2 percent), passing yards (475), passing touchdowns (5) and attempts without an interception (45), leading NC State to a 56-26 win over Kansas in what was known then as the Mazda Tangerine Bowl.
Wilson’s MVP performance came in his final game before transferring from NC State to Wisconsin. In a 23-7 win over West Virginia, Wilson threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns and also added 41 yards rushing. His 28 completions rank fourth in Camping World Bowl history, and his 45 attempts tied Rivers’ mark for passes without an interception.
The 2017 Pro Bowl, a 20-13 AFC victory, drew a sellout crowd of 60,834 in its first year in Orlando. In addition to the current players on the field, this year’s game will also feature a first-class team of legends captains in Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn, Jason Taylor and LaDainian Tomlinson. To buy tickets to this year’s game, click here.
