First Class Flight to Hawaii! Seven New York Jets Selected to the Pro Bowl

The time for speculation has officially come to an end. The NFL has officially announced the roster for the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl, and the New York Jets will be sending seven of their own to represent the AFC in Hawaii.

There were Jets-Examiner~y2008m12d10-2009-NFL-Pro-Bowl-Which-New-York-Jets-deserve-a-trip-to-Hawaii" target="_blank">no surprises with some of the selections. Brett Favre and Alan Fanecahave been perennial Pro Bowlers for the majority of their careers with the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively.

Jets' fans knew what they were getting when Mike Tannenbaum made offseason moves to add them to the roster. They were well-known and highly respected talents among fans, and around the league.

Monstrous nose tackle Kris Jenkins was also a lock for a spot in the Pro Bowl after emerging as the Jets' most stout defender against the run. There weren't many doubts as to whether or not he'd be selected as his name was mentioned often as a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.

But what should please Jets' fans most are the four selections that will be enjoying their first Pro Bowls.

AFC-leading running back, Thomas Jones will be going to his first Pro Bowl after nine seasons in the NFL, and was chosen as a starter. It's a testament to the respect he's generated amongst his NFL colleagues.

When fan voting closed last week, Jones was fourth in votes in the AFC. The other two-thirds catapulted him into the starting lineup.

The nomination comes on the heels of his record-setting performance against the Buffalo Bills.

Jones broke Curtis Martin's rushing touchdown record, and set a new record for total touchdowns in a single-season for the New York Jets. It also marked his eighth consecutive game with a touchdown, breaking a record set by Santana Moss.

Three of the other Jets' selections are a testament to the quality of the Jets' scouting department when it comes to identifying football talent.

Leon Washington, Nick Mangold, and Darrelle Revis are all going to Hawaii. The three players were drafted and cultivated by this current regime, and have become cornerstones for this organization and its future.

After going so many years without sending a draft pick to the Pro Bowl, two of Mike Tannenbaum's selections from his very first year as the team's GM will have the honor of wearing one of those hideous jerseys.

To place things in perspective, the last player to represent the Jets that was actually drafted by the organization was Oakland Raiders' kick returner, Justin Miller.

Washington will be going as a kick returner, while Mangold and Revis will see time as reserves at center and cornerback, respectively.

The NFL also selected five New York Jets as alternates in the instance that a player declines to attend the Pro Bowl, or sits out with an injury.

LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson, FB Tony Richardson, DE Shaun Ellis, OLB Calvin Pace, and S Kerry Rhodescould all find themselves in Hawaii next February if other players fall out.

Three of those choices—D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Shaun Ellis, and Kerry Rhodes—also fall under the category of players drafted by the New York Jets. However, Rhodes and Ellis were selected prior to the Eric Mangini-Mike Tannenbaum regime.

Angel Navedo covers the New York Jets for Examiner.com. His work can also be found on NYJetsFan.com, where he is the Head Writer, and on MyGridironSpace.com—a premier social networking site built exclusively for NFL fans.

He is also a Senior Writer at the Bleacher Report, where he is one of the New York Jets Community Leaders.