Jaguars receiver Robinson awaits Pro Bowl call as alternate
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Allen Robinson's had the numbers to make the Pro Bowl.
He lacked the name recognition. Playing in a relatively small market and for a losing team surely didn't help.
Robinson, whose 13 touchdown receptions are tied for the most in the NFL, was voted a first alternate to the Pro Bowl. Although some inside and outside the Jaguars facility considered it a snub, Robinson called it an honor to be in the mix.
''A lot of people said I should have gotten in, but sometimes that's just how it plays out,'' Robinson said Wednesday. ''I mean that's out of my control. I'm not really too concerned with it.''
The second-year pro from Penn State is still likely to get an invite to the Jan. 31 game in Honolulu, Hawaii, because guys playing in the Super Bowl the following week won't attend and others usually pull out because of injuries or fatigue.
''It's pretty cool,'' Robinson said. ''Any time you can play in a game like that, it's a tremendous honor. It's something that you're voted on by your peers, so it definitely will be fun.''
A second-round draft pick in 2014, Robinson has 69 catches for 1,141 yards this season. He's the first Jaguars player to top 1,000 yards receiving since Jimmy Smith in 2005. Robinson's 13 receiving touchdowns broke the franchise record and have him tied with the New York Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. and Seattle's Doug Baldwin for the most in the league. Baldwin also was not among the eight receivers voted in.
Beckham, Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald, Cincinnati's A.J. Green, Houston's DeAndre Hopkins, Detroit's Calvin Johnson, Atlanta's Julio Jones and Brandon Marshall of the New York Jets were voted to the NFL's all-star game.
All eight have more catches than Robinson this season, but Robinson is averaging more yards per reception (16.5) than any of them. And Robinson leads the league with 26 catches of at least 20 yards.
''I think he's way more deserving than to be the first alternate for sure,'' Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles said. ''I think he belongs in that list of guys. But credit to him. That's a special honor and privilege. Happy for him and excited for him, and definitely well deserved.''
Robinson is the latest Jaguars player to get somewhat overlooked in Pro Bowl balloting.
Running back Fred Taylor, linebacker Mike Peterson and even defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks last season had legitimate beefs about getting passed over in voting. But being in one of the NFL's smallest markets plays a part along with having just three winning seasons in the last 15 years.
''Hopefully winning, turning this thing around, brings a lot more notoriety to your franchise,'' Jaguars offensive coordinator Greg Olson said.
In the meantime Robinson and the Jaguars will settle for a first alternate - and waiting for one of the eight receivers to pull out of the Pro Bowl.
''It means a lot,'' Robinson said. ''Like I said before, it's pretty cool any time you can be in that category. A good percentage of the guys on the list are probably future Hall of Famers. It's a really great honor.''
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