Players react to Pro Bowl selections

The five Green Bay Packers selected to the Pro Bowl react to Tuesday night's announcement

Wide receiver Jordy Nelson

On his reaction to being selected:

"To be honored with a Pro Bowl selection, I don't know how to explain it. It's just great to be recognized by your peers, coaches and fans for what you are able to do on the field and what our team has been able to do on the field. The recognition comes with the team's success."

On whether there was a point in the season where he thought this was possible:

"Not necessarily. After the last couple of years, there was a possibility and it hadn't happened, so I don't think you ever get your hopes too high just because you never know what the voting will be. I just tried to stay focused and keep working hard and hopefully it would happen."

On what has been the key to his success this season:

"I think this year the difference has just been the amount of opportunities. There have been more opportunities for Randall (Cobb) and myself and we have just been trying to make the most of them. I think for the most part we have been successful and just tried to help the offense put up as many yards and points as possible."

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers

On what the honor means to him:

"It is always good being voted in by your peers and the fans. I really appreciate the fan voting this year. Being the top vote-getter, it is really quite an honor. I would say I am very proud to be voted in, but I am even happier for guys like John Kuhn, who has been such a steady contributor for us for so long, and Jordy getting in, because he definitely deserves the recognition."

On having a player from the backfield, a receiver and a lineman selected:

"Without a doubt, the key to our success this year has been everybody pulling their weight. The offensive line has been blocking great and they deserve the recognition with Josh and then T.J. (Lang) and Dave (Bakhtiari) being named alternates. Obviously with Eddie (Lacy) and his success and the way he has been playing and John Kuhn having such a great season. Randall (Cobb) deserves the recognition as well and Jordy is very deserving. It is fun to know those guys will be there, but hopefully we are not playing in the game."

On if it means more when an honor like this comes during a good season for the team:

"I think we always talk about anytime the team has success, individuals off of that are going to get success as well. It is fun to be a part of a great organization and a team that has a chance to do some special things in the playoffs, and individual recognition always feels good."

Linebacker Clay Matthews

On what it means to be selected:

"It's obviously a tremendous honor to be selected to the Pro Bowl. Anytime your peers that you play against and play with, as well as the fans and the coaches, vote you on a team with some of the greats in this league, it means a tremendous deal. The older I get the more I appreciate the opportunities to be elected as a Pro Bowl player. All that being said though, I really have to attribute it to my teammates as well as the coaches for putting me in position to excel and succeed, especially in light of a position change midway through the season. It really allowed me to showcase my talents as well as help this defense in different ways. It's a tremendous honor and hopefully we can get a few more moving forward."

On whether playing multiple positions this season helped him display other skill sets:

"I think that playing inside and outside linebacker has allowed my abilities to be showcased a little bit more. It's required for me to not only play from a stack backer, but to also be matched up against some of the best running backs and tight ends in the league. I take pride in my abilities out there, whether it's rushing the passer, stopping the run or playing man-to-man. I am happy to do whatever they ask of me. Our defense has responded well from the switch and we're continuing to improve. I think it's been fun for me to learn a new position and really allow my football acumen to kind of build a little more. I think it will only help me out later on in my career."

On if this honor is more satisfying after battling an injury last year

"I think it definitely is a little more satisfying to get back to the Pro Bowl after suffering a hand injury early last year, trying to come back and then injuring it again. It was an injury that required the entire offseason to overcome, including sitting out OTAs and coming into training camp not knowing if it was going to hold up. In that regard it definitely is a little more special to me to go out there and be rewarded for not just my hard work but for my teammates and what we've been able to accomplish as a team as well."

Guard Josh Sitton

On what the recognition means to him:

"It means a lot. You have certain goals in this league and that has always been one of them for me. To be honored with the best in the league, it's important to me and it means a lot."

On whether being initially selected means more to him than his first time being named to the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement:

"Absolutely. It very much does. I might have told you it didn't before, but that would have been a lie. It definitely does mean more."

On if he feels like he is representing the entire offensive line with this honor:

"Yeah, I feel like you could stick our whole line in the Pro Bowl and everyone would fit right in. I think to a man we are one of the top few in our positions, every single one of us. We've got a heck of a line and hopefully we'll be able to stay healthy and stick together."

Fullback John Kuhn

On what the recognition means to him:

"It really means a lot. There are a lot of different people that put their votes in to do this. To be seen that way in the eyes of your peers and the coaches and the fans, it means a lot to have this honor."

On what it meant to lead his position in the fan voting:

"It meant a lot and it says a lot for 'Packer Nation,' how dedicated they are to the players and showing their support. It is something that is a real honor and I appreciate every bit of it."

On whether it is more special to have been selected twice to the Pro Bowl:

"I think so. The last time, it was a tremendous honor, but once you get one, it's kind of like the Super Bowl. It kind of grows on you and it gets a little addicting and you want to do it again. You want to prove that it wasn't a fluke and get there multiple times."

On being one of four players on offense selected:

"I think it proves that our offense has a lot of really good players, and this team as well. We have weapons everywhere and the fact that no one is greedy and no one complains about touches or playing time, it just goes to show you that we can all really succeed together in being the group that we are."