Woody:Pro Bowl includes two Skins

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Pro Bowl includes two Skins

Bailey going fourth straight year, Arrington is picked for third trip

BY PAUL WOODY

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Friday, December 19, 2003

The Washington Redskins will not be in postseason games this season, but two members of the team will need to stay in postseason shape anyway.

Cornerback Champ Bailey and linebacker LaVar Arrington have been selected to play for the NFC squad in the Pro Bowl. The game will be in Honolulu on Feb. 8.

This will be the fourth straight trip for Bailey, and the third straight for Arrington.

Bailey is the first Redskins player since safety Ken Houston to be selected to play in four straight Pro Bowls. Houston was selected seven straight times (1973-79).

Starters will be named during the first round of the playoffs.

The players are selected based on votes from players, coaches and fans. The vote of the players and coaches counts for two-thirds of the total, while the fans' votes count one-third.

Three Redskins players were selected as alternates.

Wide receiver Laveranues Coles is a first alternate. Offensive linemen Randy Thomas and Chris Samuels are third alternates.

Coles is unlikely to play even if one of the receivers ahead of him drops out. Coles has a stress fracture in his right foot and the foot will be placed in a cast for six-to-eight weeks after the season.

Bailey has played through shoulder and wrist injuries this season. He has one interception, 16 passes defensed (broken up), one forced fumble and two recovered fumbles. He has been in on 65 tackles, 56 of them solo hits.

"I thought I had a pretty good year, but as a team I just wish we could have topped it off with a good year, too," Bailey said.

The Redskins are 5-9.

Arrington is the team's second-leading tackler with 104 (64 solo). He has five sacks and 13 quarterback pressures.

He has been on a media boycott, except for contractual obligations, for more than a month now. But he broke his silence briefly yesterday.

"It's been a long year," Arrington said. " . . . It's a proud honor and hopefully I can go over there and represent the team well.

"It means a lot [coming from my peers] and it definitely means a whole lot coming from the fans. I hate to sound selfish, but I needed it."

Contact Paul Woody at (804) 649-6444 or pwoody@timesdispatch.com