FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE; FRIDAY, FEB. 4, 2005

FROM CINCINNATI BENGALS PUBLIC RELATIONS

RUDI JOHNSON ADDED

TO AFC PRO BOWL SQUAD

            HB Rudi Johnson, who rushed for a Bengals-record 1454 yards this past season, today was added to the AFC All-Star team for the Feb. 13 Pro Bowl game in Honolulu.

            Johnson, a fourth-year NFL player in 2004, was the next alternate in line for an AFC running back spot when it was learned that Curtis Martin of the New York Jets, the NFL’s 2004 rushing leader, will miss the Pro Bowl  due to an injury. Earlier, alternate Corey Dillon of New England had been added to the AFC roster at running back, due to an injury to Edgerrin James of Indianapolis.

            Johnson’s 1454 rushing total broke the Bengals record of 1435 that Dillon had set in 2000. Johnson set another Bengals record with 361 carries during the ’04 season, bettering the mark of 340 that Dillon had posted in 2001.

            Johnson’s elevation gives the Bengals four Pro Bowlers for the first time since 1990. OT Willie Anderson, CB Tory James and WR Chad Johnson were voted to the team in December. James and Chad Johnson will join Rudi Johnson on the field in Honolulu, but Anderson has been ruled out of playing in the game after undergoing surgery last month to repair torn knee cartilage.

            The four Bengals on the Pro Bowl team in 1990 were TE Rodney Holman, SS David Fulcher, HB James Brooks and OT Anthony Munoz.

            Rudi Johnson is the seventh Bengals RB to make the Pro Bowl or the AFL All-Star Game, joining James Brooks (4 selections), Dillon (3), Paul Robinson (2), Harold Green (1), Pete Johnson (1) and Lorenzo Neal (1).

            Rudi Johnson tied the Bengals record for 100-yard rushing games in a season in ’04, and he had additional games of 99, 98 and 95 yards. His 202-yard game on Nov. 28 vs. Cleveland was his career high, the fourth-most rushing yards in a game in Bengals history, and the second-most rushing yards in a game in the NFL in 2004. The only player to post more in a game in ‘04 was Indianapolis’ James, who had 204 on Nov. 21 at Chicago.

    Replace this text with your text.