Elway still not saying
if he’ll return next year

Talk of retirement chased after Denver quarterback John Elway and Green Bay defensive end Reggie White from the field to the locker room.

"I have answered that 900 times," Elway said after helping the AFC secure a 23-10 win over the NFC. "I don't know if this is my last Pro Bowl. Heck, if I do come back. I'd love to come back here because I'm still playing at that level.

"I'm going to take some time now. The season is over and it's a nice finale. I'm going to take a couple of months and kind of enjoy it."

White didn't leave as wide a crack in the door. The 13-time Pro Bowl player made it sound as if this was his final game.

"The guys I played with I will miss," White said as fellow NFC players came by to pay their respects. "This was a great week. It's one of the best weeks I've had since I've been in the Pro Bowl."

Several members of the NFC and AFC were waiting in the wings with footballs they hoped Elway and White would autograph. Both accepted handshakes and pats on the pads. But some were not so sure White is gone.

"If he does retire, he was wonderful for the game," Dallas Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders said. "He's just a wonderful person and a wonderful man of God.

"Reggie is not only an ideal role model, he is a model citizen. If it wasn't for football, Reggie would still be Reggie; a great father and a personal friend."

Like Sanders, Elway didn't want to speak in the past tense about White just yet.

"From what I've heard, Reggie is thinking about coming back again," Elway said. "So, we'll have to see."

GETTING HIS KICKS: Former Hawaii place-kicker Jason Elam was decidedly busier this time around.

In his first Pro Bowl three years ago, Elam didn't have a field goal and was 1 for 2 on extra points. By contrast, the Denver Broncos' kicker figured heavily in yesterday's AFC victory.

He not only connected on three field goals of 23, 26 and 46 yards, he knocked through a pair of PATs as well.

"You never know when this is you're last time, so you want to take it all in and enjoy every moment," Elam said. "This was a lot of fun. You have to cherish all those moments, you know? It was a great game to end on because it will give me some good moments this off-season."

Elam also played tour guide on this trip. He had 10 people with him, including a younger brother, who had never been to Hawaii.

"I'm glad we won, so I can pay for this trip," Elam said. "This was a lot of fun for everybody. I always love coming back because Hawaii has always treated me well."

ANOTHER HELPING OF RICE: Not that Jerry Rice is counting, but the San Francisco wide receiver added another record to his impressive book.

Rice pulled down 5 catches for 60 yards to run his Pro Bowl total to 439 career reception yards. That breaks the mark of 408 held by the Oakland Raiders' Tim Brown.

"You know when you set a career record in a game like this, that you've been here many times," said Rice, making his 12th appearance. "There are some great young players in this game that may break that mark some day."

There were several other records broken as well. Sanders and New England's Ty Law set interception records. Law's 67-yarder was the longest interception return for a touchdown. Sanders returned an interception 87 yards, but didn't score.

He also tied former Dallas cornerback Everson Walls with four Pro Bowl interceptions and set the mark for total interception yards with 103.

Denver's Ed McCaffrey said it was a thrill to chase down Sanders on the long interception return just before the half. Sanders never saw him coming.

"I don't look behind me and fortunately, I don't have eyes in the back of my head," Sanders said. "He did a great job because he saved a touchdown that we felt we would have.

"I think we gave the fans a thrill. I never think about taking it back unless I see a clear shot at the end zone. I never saw that."

STRANGE PLAY: If you're wondering what happened on an NFC punt that resulted in Washington's Matt Turk attempting a desperation pass, you're not alone.

NFC head coach Dennis Green asked several officials after the game what was the ruling on that play. He felt the AFC rushed too many players.

"They had at least eight guys coming after our guy," Green said. "The rule is six -- three on each side. They sent at least two guys over the center.

"Matt looks up and sees all these guys breaking through the middle. He doesn't want to get the kick blocked, so he tries to pass and he gets flagged."

The officials ruled the NFC had an illegal man downfield, and not that the AFC rushed too many players. The AFC took over on downs at the NFC 17. It led to a 26-yard field goal by Elam.

"I didn't know they could rush that many players," Turk said. "I was surprised and I was waiting for a flag. But they called us, instead. It was a bad call."

INJURY LIST: There were three players injured badly enough to be removed from the game.

They were Pittsburgh lineman Dermontti Dawson (hamstring), Green Bay kick returner Roell Preston (sprained foot) and Arizona cornerback Aeneas Williams (ankle).

MURRELL THRILLED: Arizona running back Adrian Murrell was thrilled to be a part of this year's Pro Bowl, but hopes the next time is spent on the field.

Murrell and former Leilehua High head coach Gary Clark took part in an award ceremony. Clark was named the NFL High School Football Coach of the Year.

"It's great to be here and be a part of this award," Murrell said. "Coach Clark did a lot for me. He challenged me. This is a way of giving something back to him.

"One of my dreams is to come back here and play in this game. Seeing this stadium filled with all these fans is something to see and be a part of."

LOCAL ANTHEM: Atlanta's Esera Tuaolo, a 30-year-old from Waimanalo, sang the national anthem. Tuaolo, who is about to enter the free-agent market, demonstrated his four-octave range with an interpretation he said was a combination of R&B, adult contemporary and Polynesian.

"It was a rush to do the anthem here," said Tuaolo, whose voice is on two different NFL CDs. Tuaolo sang two years ago at the Pro Bowl in a duet with rap artist Richie Rich.

Tuaolo wasn't in the program, so he said some of his NFL buddies were surprised to see him pop up on the field with a microphone.

---

By Paul Arnett and Pat Bigold