Green Bay Packers defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila has been added to the NFC Pro Bowl squad, the NFL announced Saturday. It will be the first appearance in the league's annual all-star contest for the fourth-year pro.
Gbaja-Biamila led Green Bay and tied for sixth in the NFC with 10 sacks during the 2003 campaign. In the process, he became the first player in Packers history to post double-digit sacks in three consecutive seasons and moved into fourth place on the team's all-time sacks list with 37 in his career. Starting all 16 games for the first time as a professional in '03, 'KGB' additionally contributed 55 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries for Green Bay.
Informed of his addition late Friday, Gbaja-Biamila caught an early-morning flight to Honolulu on Saturday and will suit up for the NFC team in Sunday's Pro Bowl, airing at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Gbaja-Biamila joins four teammates -- running back Ahman Green, offensive guard Marco Rivera, tight end Bubba Franks and center Mike Flanagan -- in Hawaii. Sunday will mark the most Packers participants in the Pro Bowl since five Green Bay players (LeRoy Butler, Mark Chmura, Antonio Freeman, Roell Preston and Reggie White) also took part in the all-star contest following the 1998 season. Gbaja-Biamila becomes the first Packers defensive lineman to play in the Pro Bowl since White in '98.
The other NFC defensive ends this year are the Giants' Michael Strahan (1st in the NFC with 18 sacks), the Rams' Leonard Little (3rd-NFC with 12.5 sacks) and the Panthers' Mike Rucker 4th-NFC with 12 sacks), who was added to the NFC roster as a "need player" on Jan. 23.
Gbaja-Biamila replaces Tampa Bay's Simeon Rice, who was released from the NFC team for disciplinary reasons.
