Marcell Dareus Added to Pro Bowl Roster

Former Crimson Tide defensive end Marcell Dareus has been added to the Pro Bowl.  Dareus, who now plays defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills, will replace Justin Smith of the San Francisco 49ers, who will miss the event with an injury. This is the first Pro Bowl selection for the third-overall pick in the 2011 draft.  He joins former Tide running back Eddie Lacy on the Pro Bowl roster, whose rookie season has already earned him the PFWA Rookie of the Year award.  Lacy and Dareus were both members of the 2009 National Championship team at Alabama, though Lacy was redshirted for that season.  Dareus, meanwhile, was the defensive MVP of the title game against Texas.  His play in that game included a memorable interception returned for a touchdown.

Darues is one of four Buffalo Bills included in the Pro Bowl, the others being safety Jarius Byrd, defensive end Mario Williams and defensive tackle Kyle Williams.

This is the first year that the Pro Bowl will not split teams up by conferences.  Instead, Hall-of-Fame players Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders will select teams from the players selected in (excluding players who are injured or playing in the Super Bowl).  The teams will be selected at the Pro Bowl Draft on Wednesday, January 22nd at 8 PM on the NFL Network.  The game will be played Sunday, January 26th at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii, with NBC broadcasting.