DWare News

DeMarcus Ware was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in helping the Cowboys earn their first win of the season on the road at Houston. It marks his fourth career defensive player of the week.

Ware led the team with 3.0 sacks in the Houston game to tie his career high (five other times). It also marked the 14th multiple sack game of his career. He is tied with Randy White for the third-most multi-sack games in club history since sacks became an official statistic:

Multi-sack
Player.................Games
Greg Ellis................19
Jim Jeffcoat............19
Randy White...........14
DeMarcus Ware.....14

Ware now has 68.5 career sacks with 29.0 coming on third down, including all three of his sacks in the Houston game. He also led the team with three tackles for loss and three pressures while his eight tackles tied for second on the team.

PURCHASE, NY - The votes are in and more than 500,000 fans have spoken - Drew Brees is the winner of a $100,000 Pepsi Refresh grant that will help New Orleans-based Hope Lodge provide rooms for cancer patients and their caregivers. This past week, fans had the opportunity to cast their votes at www.nfl.com/PepsiRefresh or via text by typing the player's first name to P-E-P-S-I (73774) for the idea they believed should be awarded a grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project.

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware also campaigned for votes for their ideas to further projects important to them Sanchez: building awareness around the signs of type 1 or juvenile diabetes and Ware: providing a safe environment for abused, abandoned and neglected children. Although their idea didn't receive the most votes, Pepsi is awarding each a $25,000 Refresh Project grant to help make a difference in America's communities."I'm thrilled that $100,000 will be going to the Hope Lodge, which will provide cancer patients and their caregiver's rooms through the Pepsi Refresh Project," said Brees. "We're all winners in this project. These grants will help make a real difference in our communities. Thanks to the fans who voted, the support has been outstanding for all of us."The Pepsi Refresh Project is a groundbreaking effort to foster innovation in social good that will award more than $20 million this year to fund great ideas that improve America's communities.

Throughout 2010, Pepsi will fund ideas that will move the world forward in six categories: Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The Planet, Neighborhoods and Education. The Pepsi Refresh Project will feature significant social engagement around people and the power of ideas. Pepsi Refresh Project launched on Jan. 13 and exceeded expectations by receiving the monthly limit of 1,000 submissions in less than seven days. People are encouraged to submit their ideas and cast a vote for their favorite projects at www.refresheverything.com.

Copyright © 2010, WGNO-TV

COMPLETE ALL-DECADE TEAM REVEALED DURING ESPN’S PRO BOWL BROADCAST ON SUNDAY, JAN. 31

The NFL’s annual Pro Bowl is a celebration of the season’s best.  The 2010 version is also a chance to honor some of the decade’s biggest stars.

Twelve players named to the 2000s NFL All-Decade Team will compete in Sunday’s Pro Bowl before a sellout crowd in excess of 70,000.  Broadcast live on ESPN at 7:20 p.m. ET from Sun Life Stadium, the Pro Bowl will for the first time be held prior to the Super Bowl and serve as the signature kickoff event of Super Bowl week.

The complete 2000s NFL All-Decade team will be revealed during a special Pro Bowl edition of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown (5:30 p.m. ET).

The members of the 2000s NFL All-Decade Team that will see action in Sunday’s Pro Bowl.

The 12 2010 All-Stars to be selected to the All-Decade team have been named to the Pro Bowl a combined 77 times.

This is a tremendous honor for me to be recognized as one of the best out of all the safeties who have played in the NFL this decade,” says Denver safety BRIAN DAWKINS, who was selected to his eighth career Pro Bowl and is one of the four All-Decade safeties.  “To know I’ve been able to do the things I’ve been able to do, with the help of my teammates, to earn a spot on the league’s All-Decade Team means a lot.”

The NFL All-Decade teams are chosen every 10 years by the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee members.  The 2000s will mark the ninth All-Decade team to be selected in NFL history.

This decade’s 53-player team will be comprised of two quarterbacks, four running backs, one fullback, four wide receivers, two tight ends, four offensive tackles, four guards, two centers, four defensive tackles, four defensive ends, six linebackers, four cornerbacks, four safeties, two kickers, two punters, two kick returners and two punt returners.  Two head coaches have also been chosen.

All-Stars from the Super Bowl competing teams will not participate in the Pro Bowl, but they will attend the game and be honored as part of the pregame festivities.  Three of those players have also been selected to the All-Decade Team: quarterback PEYTON MANNING and defensive end DWIGHT FREENEY of the Colts and safety DARREN SHARPER of the Saints.

NFL/Michael Signora

IRVING – Jay Ratliff, a tight end at the start of his collegiate career, joined the ranks of elite NFL defensive linemen Thursday.

Ratliff and Cowboys defensive teammate DeMarcus Ware, the pass-rushing outside linebacker, were named first team All Pro in media voting conducted by The Associated Press. It marked the first time the Cowboys' defense has had multiple first-team selections since 1996, when cornerback Deion Sanders and safety Darren Woodson were honored.

This was Ware's third selection. He was delighted to receive the recognition in what has been an injury-plagued season but was more pleased for Ratliff.

"I'm really happy for Jay," Ware said. "He deserves it. From where he came from to making the Pro Bowl and now All Pro, it lets everybody know he has arrived."

Ratliff, a seventh-round draft choice from Auburn in 2005, performs double duty on defense. In the three-man front, he lines up as a nose tackle and usually takes on double-team blocks. In the four-man front, Ratliff moves to a tackle spot to rush the passer. He tied for third in the league for sacks by tackles with six.

"It's a blessing, and I thank God for it," said Ratliff, who also praised position coach Todd Grantham and his teammates. "But there's still a lot of work to."

Five other Cowboys received votes, with Andre Gurode finishing second among centers. The others were tight end Jason Witten, wide receiver Miles Austin, offensive guard Leonard Davis and outside linebacker Anthony Spencer.

By GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News

Miles Austin started this season as a third-string receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. Now, he's a Pro Bowler.  Austin was among six Dallas players chosen to the all-star squad Tuesday, and the team's lone first-time honoree. He's earned it by leading the NFC with 1,230 yards receiving. He also has 11 touchdowns among his 74 catches.

Austin is only the second Cowboys receiver to make the Pro Bowl since Michael Irvin. The other was Terrell Owens in 2007.

Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware and center Andre Gurode were chosen as starters, while tight end Jason Witten, nose tackle Jay Ratliff and guard Leonard Davis made it as reserves.

This was the 30th time the Cowboys have had at least five honorees.

This is Ware's and Gurode's fourth straight year on the squad. Ware has been a starter all four times. Gurode's four straight invitations is a club record for centers.

Witten will make his sixth straight appearance -- the most invitations for a tight end in Cowboys history. Davis will make his third straight, and Ratliff was tapped for the second straight year.

Tony Romo has thrown for more than 4,000 yards, but was bypassed in favor of the three quarterbacks with higher ratings than his 97.0: Drew Brees of New Orleans, Minnesota's Brett Favre and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers.

The Pro Bowl will be played in Miami on Jan. 31, one week before the Super Bowl is held there.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC Dallas-Fort Worth

First Published: Dec 29, 2009 7:11 PM CST