NEW YORK -- Sean Taylor, who died Nov. 27 after being shot during a burglary at his Florida home, was voted to the NFC Pro Bowl team posthumously on Tuesday.
The Washington Redskins defensive back got a starting position on the team at free safety. He was having an outstanding season and was among the leaders in fan balloting for a team selected by a combination of fans, players and coaches.
Both conferences were dominated by players from the teams at the top of the standings.
San Diego, like New England, had eight players chosen.
Taylor is the first player to make an all-star team posthumously in any sport since goaltender Pelle Lindbergh made the NHL All-Star Game in February 1986. He had been killed in an auto accident in November, 1985 after playing eight games for the Philadelphia Flyers, for whom he had won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goalie the previous season.
Before his death, Taylor was leading the NFL in interceptions with five.
One of those left off the team was Fred Taylor of Jacksonville, who has had four straight 100-yard rushing games. In fact, there are no Jaguars on the AFC team although they are 10-4 and on the verge of clinching a playoff spot.
Fred Taylor, who has rushed for 1,091 yards and has a 5.1-yard average per carry while splitting time with Maurice Jones-Drew, is the 18th leading rusher in NFL history, but has never been to the Pro Bowl. That makes him the only one of the top 43 rushers in history not to make it to the league's all-star game.
Fred Taylor anticipated that last week.
"Whatever happens, happens," he said. "They've got to tally up the votes, and however it comes out, I've got to live with it. I've always felt like I'm Pro Bowl-quality, so everything else doesn't matter."
The three backs chosen ahead of Fred Taylor were LaDainian Tomlinson of San Diego, Willie Parker of Pittsburgh and Joseph Addai of Indianapolis. Parker and Tomlinson have gained more yards than Taylor, but Parker is averaging 4.1 and Tomlinson, last season's league MVP, is averaging 4.7.
Addai, one of five Colts on the AFC squad, has 1,019 yards rushing, 72 yards fewer than Taylor and an average of 4.1 yards per carry, a full yard less than the 31-year-old Jacksonville star.
Three rookies made the NFC team: Adrian Peterson of the Vikings, third in the NFL with 1,278 yards rushing and first among regular backs with a 5.9 average; linebacker Patrick Willis of San Francisco; and Dallas placekicker Nick Folk.
