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FIVE BUCCANEERS NAMED TO 2003 AFC-NFC PRO BOWL

The National Football League today announced today that five Tampa Bay Buccaneers - FB Mike Alstott, LB Derrick Brooks, S John Lynch, DE Simeon Rice and DT Warren Sapp - have been selected to the 2003 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, to be held in Honolulu February 2.

Alstott, Brooks and Sapp will each make their sixth straight appearance at the Pro Bowl, tying Lee Roy Selmon’s franchise record for total Pro Bowl appearances and also equaling his mark for consecutive appearances set from 1979-1984.

Under the watch of General Manager Rich McKay over the last seven years, Tampa Bay has had 40 Pro Bowl selections. Prior to that, the Buccaneers had 18 Pro Bowl selections in the previous 20 years (1976-1995).

Alstott, who ranks second on the team with 478 rushing yards on 129 carries (3.7 avg.), heads to Hawaii for the sixth consecutive year. The seventh-year pro leads the team with five rushing touchdowns and seven total touchdowns. Alstott’s 33 receptions in 2002 rank tied for fourth on the team. He ranks second in team history with 4,460 career rushing yards and is the team’s all-time leader in touchdowns (57) and rushing TDs (45).

Brooks is also headed to his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl. The eighth-year pro is second on the Bucs defense with 145 tackles. Brooks became the only LB in NFL history to have three INT returns for touchdowns in a season in 2002. His four touchdowns on turnovers this season are tied for second-most in a single-season in NFL history. Brooks was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month in October and for the year, Brooks also has one sack, five tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and 13 passes defensed.

Lynch is going to Hawaii for the fourth consecutive time and fifth overall. The 10th-year pro ranks fifth on the team and second among defensive backs with 78 tackles in 2002. Lynch is tied for the team lead with five tackles for loss and has three interceptions and 12 passes defensed in 2002.

Rice is making his first Pro Bowl appearance as a Buccaneer and second of his career (1999). The seventh-year pro ranks first in the NFC and second in the NFL with 14.5 sacks. Rice set an NFL single-season record by posting two or more sacks in five consecutive games this season and leads the team with six forced fumbles. Rice, who was the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month for November, has posted 66 tackles this season and his 10 passes defensed lead Tampa Bay’s defensive line.

Sapp, headed to Hawaii for the sixth consecutive year, leads all NFC interior linemen with 7.5 sacks. He also leads all Tampa Bay defensive linemen with 68 tackles and two interceptions. For the season, he has recorded one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and three passes defensed. Sapp has notched 72.0 career sacks, second in team history behind Selmon (78.5 career sacks).

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