An NFC-high nine Minnesota Vikings, tied with the Denver Broncos for the most in the NFL, were voted to the National Football Conference all-star team that will face the American Football Conference all-stars in the 1999 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, the NFL announced today.

The defending NFC champion Green Bay Packers will send five players, as will the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys. The San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will send four players each. Nine NFC players will participate in their first Pro Bowl.

The Pro Bowl will be played for the 20th consecutive year at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on Sunday, February 7 at 1:00 PM HT and will be broadcast live at 6:00 PM ET by ABC-TV and CBS Radio.

The 42-man NFC squad is comprised of 21 offensive and 17 defensive players plus four specialists. A 43rd "need" player will be chosen by the NFC head coach and must be a linebacker or defensive end.

The NFL is the only professional sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players in determining its all-star teams. The consensus vote of fans counted as one-third of the total. Each team had two equal votes, those of the coach and the players with no one permitted to vote for a player on his own team.

The Vikings send four starters, four reserves and one specialist to Honolulu. Guard RANDALL MC DANIEL has been voted to start his 10th game. When he starts the Pro Bowl on February 7, McDaniel will extend his own AFC-NFC Pro Bowl record for most consecutive games started to 10. Joining McDaniel as offensive starters are first-time Pro Bowl selections JEFF CHRISTY at center and wide receiver RANDY MOSS, who leads the league with 1,209 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns. Moss is the only rookie selected to the game. Interior lineman JOHN RANDLE is the Vikings’ lone defensive starter, making his sixth consecutive trip to Hawaii.

The Minnesota reserves consist of wide receiver CRIS CARTER (sixth consecutive selection); quarterback RANDALL CUNNINGHAM (fourth selection), who leads the league with a 107.2 passer rating; inside linebacker ED MC DANIEL (first selection); and tackle TODD STEUSSIE (second selection in a row). The Vikings’ specialist is placekicker GARY ANDERSON (fourth selection), who leads the league with 140 points scored.

The Falcons’ five-man contingent includes four starters, which ties them for the most starters in the NFC with Minnesota and Green Bay. First-time selection running back JAMAL ANDERSON, who leads the NFC with 1,596 yards rushing, is the Falcons’ offensive starter. The defensive starters consist of cornerback RAY BUCHANAN (first selection), who leads the NFC with seven interceptions; free safety EUGENE ROBINSON (third selection); and inside linebacker JESSIE TUGGLE (fifth selection). The Falcons’ lone reserve is quarterback CHRIS CHANDLER, who makes his second consecutive trip to Honolulu.

The Packers have two offensive and two defensive starters and one specialist. On offense, Green Bay starts tight end MARK CHMURA (third selection) and wide receiver ANTONIO FREEMAN, a first-time selection. Defensively, the Packers start strong safety LE ROY BUTLER (fourth selection) and defensive end REGGIE WHITE, who leads the league with 16.0 sacks and extends his record for most AFC-NFC Pro Bowl selections to 13.

In addition, White will set the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl record for most games played when he takes the field in this year’s contest. He is currently tied with LAWRENCE TAYLOR, RONNIE LOTT and MIKE SINGLETARY with 10 games played. Minnesota’s McDaniel can tie this group when he plays in this year’s game.

Green Bay’s ROELL PRESTON is the NFC’s kick returner and will make his first trip to Honolulu.

Dallas also has five players in the game: LARRY ALLEN (fourth consecutive selection) starts at tackle; Leon Lett (second selection) is a reserve interior lineman; NATE NEWTON (sixth selection) a reserve guard; DEION SANDERS (seventh selection) starts at cornerback; and DARREN WOODSON (fifth straight selection) is a reserve at strong safety.

Sanders was also selected as the NFC’s kick returner but is named to the squad at cornerback because it is his primary position. This is the second time in his career that Sanders has been selected to the Pro Bowl as both a cornerback and kick returner. The first time was in 1992 when he was a member of the Atlanta Falcons.

The 49ers’ four players include starting quarterback STEVE YOUNG, who leads the league with 32 touchdown passes and has been selected seven consecutive times, and reserve wide receiver JERRY RICE, who leads the NFC with 73 receptions. This marks Rice’s 12th selection, breaking a tie with former Cincinnati Bengals tackle ANTHONY MUNOZ (1982-92) for second-most selections in AFC-NFC Pro Bowl history. They trail Reggie White’s 13.

San Francisco guard KEVIN GOGAN, making his third trip to Hawaii, will start, and first-time selection GARRISON HEARST is a reserve running back.

Among the four Tampa Bay Pro Bowl players are two defensive starters – outside linebacker DERRICK BROOKS, selected for the second consecutive time, and interior lineman WARREN SAPP, who also makes his second trip in a row. The Buccaneers’ two offensive reserves, both selected for the second consecutive year, are fullback MIKE ALSTOTT and center TONY MAYBERRY.

Other NFC offensive starters are New Orleans Saints tackle WILLIAM ROAF, selected to his fifth consecutive game, and Detroit Lions running back BARRY SANDERS, selected to his 10th Pro Bowl in a row. Carolina Panthers tight end WESLEY WALLS (third consecutive selection) is the remaining offensive reserve.

Other NFC defensive starters are Carolina outside linebacker KEVIN GREENE (fifth selection), and New York Giants defensive end MICHAEL STRAHAN (second consecutive selection). Giants outside linebacker JESSIE ARMSTEAD (second consecutive selection), New Orleans defensive end JOE JOHNSON (first selection), and Arizona Cardinals cornerback AENEAS WILLIAMS (fifth consecutive selection) are defensive reserves.

Carolina special teamer MICHAEL BATES and Washington punter MATT TURK, who leads the NFC with a 39.7 net average, complete the specialists. Both make their third consecutive Pro Bowl trip, Bates the past two years as a kick returner.

The National Football Conference holds a 15-13 advantage over the American Football Conference. The AFC won last season’s meeting 29-24. The coaching staff will be from the NFC Championship Game runner-up team.

The selected players with the most votes at each position are the designated starters. Under terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each player on the winning team receives $25,000, while each player on the losing squad earns $12,500.

OFFENSE

Wide receivers – *Randy Moss, Minnesota; *Antonio Freeman, Green Bay; Cris Carter, Minnesota; Jerry Rice, San Francisco

Tackles – Larry Allen, Dallas; William Roaf, New Orleans; Todd Steussie, Minnesota

Guards –Randall McDaniel, Minnesota; Kevin Gogan, San Francisco; Nate Newton, Dallas

Centers – *Jeff Christy, Minnesota; Tony Mayberry, Tampa Bay

Tight Ends – Mark Chmura, Green Bay; Wesley Walls, Carolina

Quarterbacks – Steve Young, San Francisco; Randall Cunningham, Minnesota; Chris Chandler, Atlanta

Running backs – Barry Sanders, Detroit; *Jamal Anderson, Atlanta; *Garrison Hearst, San Francisco

Fullback – Mike Alstott, Tampa Bay

DEFENSE

Ends – Reggie White, Green Bay; Michael Strahan, New York Giants; *Joe Johnson, New Orleans

Interior linemen – John Randle, Minnesota; Warren Sapp, Tampa Bay; Leon Lett, Dallas

Outside linebackers – Derrick Brooks, Tampa Bay; Kevin Greene, Carolina; Jessie Armstead, New York Giants

Inside linebackers – Jessie Tuggle, Atlanta; *Ed McDaniel, Minnesota

Cornerbacks – Deion Sanders, Dallas; *Ray Buchanan, Atlanta; Aeneas Williams, Arizona

Strong safeties – LeRoy Butler, Green Bay; Darren Woodson, Dallas

Free safety – Eugene Robinson, Atlanta

SPECIALISTS

Punter – Matt Turk, Washington

Placekicker – Gary Anderson, Minnesota

Kick return specialist – *Roell Preston, Green Bay

Special teamer – Michael Bates, Carolina