KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – VFLs Eric Berry and Morgan Cox will play in the 2016 Pro Bowl on Sunday at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The game will air on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Berry is on Team Rice after Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice selected him with his 15th pick in the two-day draft. Cox is on Team Irvin. Berry is the 13th VFL to earn trips to four Pro Bowls (2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015 seasons). Cox is the 41st former Vol to be selected to the Pro Bowl.
Berry posted 61 tackles (55 solo), two interceptions and 10 passes defended during the 2015 regular season. Berry, who was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America, made an inspiring return to football after beating cancer. The Kansas City Chiefs safety was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in late 2014, but battled back to lead his team to an 11-5 regular-season record this season and the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Berry was the Chiefs’ nominee for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year and won the Charity Challenge and a $20,000 donation to the charity of his choice, courtesy of Nationwide. He was also named Kansas City’s 2015 Ed Block Courage Award recipient.
Cox, a long snapper for the Baltimore Ravens, was named to the Pro Bowl roster on Jan. 19 as a “need” player by Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who will coach one of the teams. The NFL stipulates that the head coach of each team chooses a “need” player, and those players must be long snappers. Cox joins Ravens punter Sam Koch. This is Cox’s first Pro Bowl. He competed in every Ravens game this season, snapping on all 74 punts, 40 field-goal attempts (33 success) and 29 PATs (all converted) with no gaffes. Cox’s snaps helped Koch earn his first-career Pro Bowl nod.