April 07, 2014 | Vol. 20 No. 30

 

 

Watch Andy Dalton play in Sunday's Pro Bowl
Published: 1/23/2012

andy dalton

Andy Dalton has kept the "14" he had at TCU now that he sports a Bengals' jersey

Former TCU quarterback Andy Dalton is headed to the Pro Bowl after a standout rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Pro Bowl is Sunday, Jan. 29, televised at 6 p.m. CST on NBC.

Dalton was originally a first alternate but made the active roster for this year's Pro Bowl after Tom Brady's spot became open when the New England Patriots reached the Super Bowl. Dalton is the first former TCU player in the Pro Bowl since LaDainian Tomlinson and Aaron Schobel in 2007.

Dalton becomes the first rookie quarterback to play in the Pro Bowl since Vince Young in 2006. Dalton joins San Diego's Philip Rivers and Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger as the quarterbacks for the AFC team.

Dalton, a second-round draft pick, became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to not be selected in the first round, start all 16 games and lead his team to the playoffs. The Bengals finished 9-7 after a 4-12 campaign in 2010.

Dalton was also the first rookie signal caller in NFL history to start at least eight games and throw 20 touchdown passes.

With fellow rookie A.J. Green also headed to the Pro Bowl, the Bengals have the first rookie quarterback-wide receiver combo to make the Pro Bowl in the history of the game.

Dalton concluded his TCU career as the Rose Bowl Offensive Most Valuable Player in the Horned Frogs' 21-19 win over Wisconsin. It was his third bowl game MVP award.

The holder of every major TCU passing record at the time of his graduation, Dalton had a 42-7 record as a starting quarterback. He is the Horned Frogs' all-time leader in wins, breaking the previous mark of 29 held by Slingin' Sammy Baugh (1934-36). Dalton was also the nation's leader in career victories among active quarterbacks in his final season.

A 2010 finalist for the Manning Award, Johnny Unitas Award and Bobby Bowden Award, Dalton was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award and Davey O'Brien Award. He finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting. Dalton was a two-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year.

Dalton set TCU single-season records with a 66.1 completion percentage and 27 touchdown passes in 2010. He threw just six interceptions in ranking fifth in the nation with a 166.5 pass efficiency rating. He also rushed for 435 yards and six touchdowns on a 5.1 per carry mark.

Dalton is the Horned Frogs' career leader in completions (812), attempts (1,317), completion percentage (61.7), passing yards (10,314) and touchdown passes (71). His career interception percentage (2.3) ranked as the third-lowest mark among active quarterbacks in his final season.

A native of Katy, Texas, Dalton rushed for 1,611 yards and 22 touchdowns in his career. The 22 rushing scores are the most by a quarterback in TCU history while placing eighth overall on the Horned Frogs' all-time list.

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