Feb. 8, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. - The UCF football program was represented in the annual NFL Pro Bowl on Sunday at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall started in the game for the AFC representing the Denver Broncos while cornerback Asante Samuel was selected as a reserve for the NFC as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles but did not play in the contest.
For Marshall, who made five catches for 44 yards on Sunday, the game was a return to the site of one of his greatest collegiate performances. The Winter Park native's final collegiate contest for UCF was in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl against Nevada where he was named UCF's team MVP. Marshall caught 11 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns, including a 16-yard grab with 55 seconds remaining to send the contest to overtime.
Marshall took over as Denver's top receiver this year and garnered coverage from some of the best defensive backs in the league but could not be stopped. In his first appearance of the year on September 14, 2008, Marshall set a franchise record with 18 receptions in the Broncos' 39-38 victory over the San Diego Chargers. The 18 grabs also tied for the second-most receptions in NFL history in a single game. Marshall went on to finish the season recording 104 catches for 1,265 yards and six touchdowns.
Samuel earned a Pro Bowl spot for the second consecutive year after starting for the AFC last year as a member of the New England Patriots. Samuel helped the Eagles to the NFC Championship Game this past year before falling to the Arizona Cardinals but the Fort Lauderdale native did not play on Sunday due to a neck injury.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.