Yesterday saw the announcement of the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl Games roster, which included two former BYU Cougars. Both Puka Nacua and Fred Warner, who have both made NFL headlines this season with their incredible stats, will participate in Pro Bowl festivities.
UCLA It’s Huge to Have Two NFL Pro Bowl Selections in 2024
It is a big event that two former BYU Football players were chosen in the first round of the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl (before opt-outs or injury replacements are established). Actually, BYU was the only school with more selections than nine others combined. The Cougars had more players selected than Michigan, Clemson, Florida State, Miami, and Utah.
The tweet above is something coaches can display to prospective recruits and tell them, “If you come to BYU, we don’t only put guys in the NFL, they go on to become the greatest at their position and get selected for the Pro Bowl Games.” In a world when recruiting is all about having the tiniest advantage.
Does the Pro Bowl Still Matter Today?
Though recent adjustments have started to reverse that, the Pro Bowl hasn’t had the same respect or valor as other all-star games like the MLB and the NBA during the past ten years. Instead of playing regular tackle football, which was much more likely to result in injuries, the Pro Bowl played flag football last season. For a lot of people, this rekindled their interest in and motivation to play the game. Nine players were chosen for the Pro Bowl just two years ago, but they chose not to play in order to avoid injury. It fell to just two the previous year. This indicates that a greater number of players are now eager to take part.
Selection is even more crucial than the game itself. A player’s numbers are forgotten; all that remains is that they were chosen for the Pro Bowl. In every professional sport, this is accurate. The majority of fans are more concerned that LeBron James got chosen than they are with his point total from the 2019 NBA All-Star Game.
While Puka Nacua and Fred Warner’s stats from the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl Games won’t count, fans will always remember them for being among the best players of their position in NFL history.
Puka Nacua is Enjoying An Amazing Season
Puka Nacua has undoubtedly surprised the most out of all the newcomers in the league. He and Texans quarterback CJ Stroud are presently in a two-way competition for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Nacua has 101 receptions for 1,445 yards and five touchdowns so far this season. Nacua needs just 11 yards and 4 catches to shatter the record for most NFL receiving yards and catches by a rookie.
The fact that Nacua is collaborating with Cooper Kupp as a teammate is possibly the most impressive. Many predicted that Nacua’s stats would drop dramatically after Kupp rejoined the lineup in Week 5 of the season. Rather, Nacua has kept up his dominance, recording 282 receiving yards over the previous two games.
Since 1994, Nacua is the only rookie selected in the fifth round to be named to the Pro Bowl. In addition, he is one of the three rookies chosen to play in the NFL Pro Bowl in 2024.