Kerby Joseph is having a heck of a rookie season for the Detroit Lions. The third-round safety from Illinois is getting enough acclaim for his playmaking ability that he topped all NFC safeties in fan voting for this season’s Pro Bowl honors.
Joseph surged to the top with 104,581 votes, as tabulated by the NFL. He wound up being the only Lions player to lead the NFC at any position in the fan voting.
It’s a great nod, but it doesn’t necessarily mean Joseph will be in the Pro Bowl weekend. From the NFL’s media release on how players are chosen for the Pro Bowl,
Roster selections are determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group’s vote counts one-third toward determining the 88 Pro Bowl players. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its top athlete teams.
There is no longer an actual Pro Bowl game. The league instead shifted it to a series of more fun and fan-friendly competitions and activities.
