Harrison Smith makes 2016 Pro Bowl
Eden Prairie, MN (January 25, 2016) – Minnesota Vikings S Harrison Smith has been named to his first career Pro Bowl after notching 87 tackles (56 solo), 6 QBHs, 3 TFLs, 2 INTs, 2 PDs, 1.5 sacks and 1 FF during the 2015 campaign.
-
Smith is the first Vikings DB to be named to the Pro Bowl since CB Antoine Winfield in 2010 and the 8th Vikings S to receive a Pro Bowl nod.
-
The Knoxville, Tenn., native become the 9th Viking drafted by Rick Spielman to earn a combined 15th Pro Bowl honor and the 3rd member of the 2012 draft class named to the Pro Bowl.
-
In the Vikings 49-17 win over the New York Giants, Smith snared his 12th-career INT off an Eli Manning pass and returned it 35 yards for his 4th-career TD establishing a franchise record for career INT-return TDs.
-
Since entering the league in 2012, Smith is 1-of-2 players to record at least 12 INTs and 5.0 sacks (Reshad Jones, MIA).
-
Smith replaces Seahawks S Earl Thomas who is sidelined with an injury.
-
VIKINGS DRAFTED BY RICK SPIELMAN NAMED TO THE PRO BOWL
7 Adrian Peterson 2007-10, ’12, ’13, 15
1 Sidney Rice 2009
1 Percy Harvin 2009
1 Kyle Rudolph 2012
1 Blair Walsh 2012
1 Matt Kalil 2012
1 Cordarrelle Patterson 2013
1 Everson Griffen 2015
1 Harrison Smith 2015
-
Harrison Smith on what the Pro Bowl means to him:
“It feels good. Being able to play in a game that’s kind of like an All Star game, but it’s not what I go out thinking about when I go out to play. I just go out and look for the win. I wish we were playing this past weekend, I wish we were playing two weekends from now, so the Pro Bowl wasn’t even a possibility. I think that’s why we play, that’s what we were doing with the Vikings. That’s where everybody’s mindset is. That starts from the top down – that’s how Coach Zim’ wants to be, that’s the type of guys that we have [on the team]. The guys that want to be winning championships, not winning awards and stuff.”
