Rodgers, "Big Ben" lead all-star teams in Pro Bowl

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh counterpart Ben Roethlisberger will lead rival all-star squads onto the field for Sunday's NFL Pro Bowl matchup at Aloha Stadium. The annual matchup of American and National Conference talent will not include players from the New England Patriots or New York Giants, who will meet in the Super Bowl to decide the NFL champion on February 5 at Indianapolis. Rodgers, who guided the Packers to last year's Super Bowl crown, will start for the National Conference, which owns a 21-20 edge in the all-time rivalry, while "Big Ben" directs the attack for the American Conference. Drew Brees, who set a single-season NFL passing record this season while leading the New Orleans Saints into the playoffs, will be a reserve passer for the National squad. San Diego's Philip Rivers backs up on the American side. San Francisco's Frank Gore and Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy lead National Conference rushers while top receivers include Arizona's Larry Johnson, Carolina's Steve Smith and tight end Jimmy Graham of New Orleans. "Being selected to represent the NFC team in the Pro Bowl is a tremendous honor," Graham said. "It's a heck of a compliment and I am grateful and humbled by it." Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew tops American Conference rushers while top pass targets include Cincinnati's A.J. Green, Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace and San Diego's Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson. San Francisco led the NFL with nine players selected to the Pro Bowl. The 49ers lost in over-time to the Giants in last weekend's National Conference final. Coaching the 43-man squads are Gary Kubiak of Houston for the American Conference and Mike McCarthy of Green Bay for the National Conference. Each player on the winning side makes $50,000, twice what their rivals are paid. The National Conference matched the Pro Bowl single-game scoring record last year with a 55-41 triumph, the Nationals having also tallied 55 points in 2004.