Being named to the Pro Bowl as a punter can be something of a mixed bag. The recognition must be nice, but in a game notorious for offense, their services probably won’t be needed much.
That was certainly the case Sunday. Special teams was hardly necessary, with six extra points but no field goals or punts. That left the two punters — NFC representative Bryan Anger of Dallas and AFC selection A.J. Cole of Las Vegas — without much to do.
The relative inactivity led to a classic interview with Cole during the fourth quarter, who joked that he was on hand for “moral support” and added that the Pro Bowl represented his favorite stat line ever.
“It’s been a great first couple of quarters,” Cole said. “Probably my favorite stat line I’ve ever had. Got zero punts, three holds, two halftime hot dogs. Really enjoying the game so far, it’s been a lot of fun watching everybody. I’m just here for moral support, basically. Passing out water and high-fives and just here for the ride.”
Cole had grass stains on his knees from holding duty, and joked that he rubbed them in a bit to make it look like he’d been more involved.
The Pro Bowl doesn’t bear much resemblance to an actual NFL game, and the best moments are usually interactions between players. Interviews like this have to rate pretty highly, too. Cole is a Pro Bowler, and nobody can take that from him. The fact that he has a sense of humor about his lack of a role just makes it better.
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