HONOLULU — It must be true. Football is bigger than any one player.
This was reinforced here this week by the absence of Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey. He had been named to the Pro Bowl every year in the 21st century until a torn groin prevented him from playing in seven games this season and getting a Pro Bowl nomination for a ninth consecutive time.
“As a corner, I know if Champ’s playing 16 games, I don’t care what his stats were, he’s coming,” said Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. “Because he’s dominant. When you’re a dominant player you don’t need the stats.”
Playing time.
Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler has been told he will play the last half of the third quarter and all of the fourth today, or about when the players start taking the Pro Bowl seriously.
“Oh, these guys will compete,” AFC coach Jim Harbaugh said. “When Peyton (Manning) broke our team huddle Tuesday, he yelled ’45’,” as in the $45,000 share to be given to each winning player. The loser’s share is $22,500.
A key today will be the conditioning of the receivers. There are only four per side and each Pro Bowl team generally puts it up 30-45 times a game. That means Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall will play extensively.
“He’s a young guy,” Harbaugh said. “Young guys can run all day. The young guys will play a lot.”
Marshall engaged.
Broncos star receiver Marshall proposed marriage this week to Michi Nogami at Roy’s of Ko Olina, a restaurant located across the street from the Pro Bowl players’ resort.
“It’s me taking a step back and looking at what’s important,” Marshall said. “What really solidified it for me was coming out here and seeing guys, bachelors at the pool with their girlfriends, and then looking at guys like Peyton Manning and Troy Polamalu and Casey Wiegmann with their families. And looking at them, I said those are the guys I want to be. You could see their peace. That’s what so important for me is to have peace. And this is the ultimate step to achieve that.”
Marshall and Michi met while they attended Central Florida.
