Bryant McKinnie eyes Pro Bowl spot as a third alternate

After the fallout of being kicked off last year's Pro Bowl team for unexcused absences from practice, Vikings left tackle Bryant McKinnie wanted an undisputed Pro Bowl on his résumé.

That opportunity is still alive, though slightly.

McKinnie confirmed in a text that he's a third alternate for the 2011 Pro Bowl in Hawaii, joining teammates Antoine Winfield, Chad Greenway and Jared Allen as alternates.

Making the final roster would require multiple injuries or withdrawals by NFC offensive linemen, but McKinnie said he improved from a season ago.

When McKinnie checked the Pro Bowl voting in December, he was fourth among left tackles. That made him proud.

"I needed to come out this year and play at a high level so there couldn't be any talk about, 'Well, he shouldn't have played anyway,' " McKinnie said in an interview with the Pioneer Press last month. "I wanted to come out and show that I can play at a Pro Bowl level consistently regardless of if I go or not. I still feel I'm one of the elite left tackles in the game."

After being released from the Pro Bowl team in January 2010, McKinnie issued a statement disclosing knee and ankle injuries that prevented him from fulfilling his Pro Bowl duties.

Speculation persisted as to why he missed the practices, but McKinnie still holds true to his story today.

"There were things that took place that people never really knew what really took place," McKinnie said. "I just said leave it alone, so I left it alone."

McKinnie didn't dominate this season for the Vikings, but he was serviceable on a makeshift offensive line.

He said he was a more consistent player in 2010, but he fell victim to his team's 6-10 record when it came to Pro Bowl voting.

"I take pride in the fact people are actually acknowledging I am having actually a better season this year than last year," McKinnie said.

(twincities.com)