Buccaneers Also Have Four Named Alternates
The National Football League announced Wednesday that Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy have been named to the 2017 Pro Bowl.
Evans, the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, has caught 84 passes for 1,159 yards and 10 touchdowns so far this season en route to earning his first career Pro Bowl selection. His 10 touchdown receptions are tied for third-most in the league and he ranks fifth overall in both receptions and receiving yards.
This season, he has joined a list of just five players in league history to surpass the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of his first three season, also Odell Beckham Jr., A.J. Green, John Jefferson and Randy Moss.
“I am honored and grateful to be selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time – it’s a dream come true,” Evans said in a released statement. “My teammates and I have worked very hard and it is truly humbling to be recognized by my peers and the fans for the results that came from that dedication.
“I would like to express my appreciation for my coaches, my teammates, everyone in the Buccaneers organization, and our fans, that share in this achievement.”
McCoy, the third overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, earns his fifth career Pro Bowl selection in as many years, tied for the fifth-most in team history. He leads Tampa Bay with 7.0 sacks, tied for the second-most by a defensive tackle.
“I would just like to say how honored I am to be selected to my fifth straight Pro Bowl,” said McCoy via a released statement. “This is an honor that can never get old or be taken for granted. I have to commend and thank all of my teammates for all their hard work and dedication to this team and this game. Without them none of this would be possible.”
The league also announced that four other Buccaneers have been selected as alternates to the Pro Bowl, including linebackers Kwon Alexander and Lavonte David, punter Bryan Anger and cornerback Brent Grimes.
