T.J. to Pro Bowl

From seventh-round draft pick as the 204th player drafted in 2001 to bubble player at training camp in 2002 and 2003, T.J. Houshmandzadeh's journey as an NFL player reached a peak this afternoon when he was named to the AFC all-star team for the Pro Bowl.

The game will be played Feb. 10 in Honolulu.

AFC and NFC rosters: http://www.nfl.com/probowl/story;jsessionid=36C2AEEA2C7A23855CFD53DDD0C75ED0?id=09000d5d8053b226&template=without-video&confirm=true

The Pro Bowl nod is the first Houshmandzadeh, who was a third alternate in last year’s voting.

Houshmandzadeh and Cleveland's Braylon Edwards are the backup AFC wide receivers, behind starters Reggie Wayne of Indianapolis and Randy Moss of New England.

In 2007, he leads the NFL with a Bengals-record 101 receptions through 14 games, and he has gained 1,028 yards with 11 touchdowns. On Saturday night in the loss at San Francisco, Houshmandzadeh set the franchise's single-season receptions record with 101, besting Carl Pickens' mark of 100 from 1996.

Houshmandzadeh played college ball at Oregon State, with fellow Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson.

"T.J. has worked very hard to earn this honor," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said in a statement released by the club. "He has worked through some injuries during the course of the season, and he has been a very consistent performer and producer for us for the last three years."

Houshmandzadeh becomes the seventh Bengals wide receiver to make the Pro Bowl. The other six have been Isaac Curtis (four times), Chad Johnson (four), Cris Collinsworth (three), Carl Pickens (two), Eddie Brown (one) and Chip Myers (one). Additionally, tight end-wide receiver Bob Trumpy was selected to two AFL All-Star games and two Pro Bowls.

Houshmandzadeh scored at least one touchdown in each of the season’s first eight games. He became the first Bengal to find the end zone in each of the first eight games of a season, and his streak of eight is the franchise’s longest at any point within one season.

Houshmandzadeh’s season-opening streak of eight straight games with a score tied for second-longest in NFL history at the start of a schedule.

The team’s total of Pro Bowl players could grow. Four Bengals earned alternate status for the AFC team: wide receiver Chad Johnson and kicker Shayne Graham as first alternates, and left tackle Levi Jones and quarterback Carson Palmer as third alternates. Alternates take roster spots if players in front of them are injured or opt out of the game.

Pro Bowl spots are determined based on voting by players, coaches and fans,. Each group's votes count one-third.