Packer is glad to
earn trip to Oahu

It was a moment a decade in the making, and William Henderson's teammates wouldn't give him a chance to soak it in.

Instead, when his name was called as one of Green Bay's representatives to the Pro Bowl after one of the team's practices, the fullback found himself at the bottom of a pile of Packers.

"By the time (a Green Bay coach) said the first four letters, 'Will...,' Ahman Green, Donald Driver and a few other of my teammates had already tackled me to the ground," Henderson recalled. "They were more excited for me than I could have been for myself."

The veteran blocking back will take the field at Aloha Stadium for his first Pro Bowl appearance on Feb. 13 after 10 years of clearing the way for the Packers' featured backs. He set an NFL record this season by blocking for his seventh 1,000-yard rusher as Green eclipsed the mark for the fifth straight year.

Henderson is one of the first Pro Bowl players to arrive in town and took part in a press conference at the Hilton Hawaiian Village yesterday to kick off the festivities leading up to the game.

Though he'd visited the island before, Henderson had never set foot outside Honolulu International Airport, merely stopping in Honolulu on his way to Maui. That is, until he was picked to play for the NFC.

"I always promised myself I wouldn't come to this island and be a part of this event unless I was actually invited by the league and by the players to come here," Henderson said. "Ten years battling and it came."

Henderson didn't carry the ball for the Packers this season but caught 34 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns. He understands that carries and headlines aren't part of a fullback's job description and finds gratification in Green's selection to the NFC roster as well.

"I play football and I've accepted my role from the start," he said. "I knew when I came into the league that playing fullback isn't one of those recognized jobs where you're going to get the ball all the time and you're always going to be on the front page of the paper. I didn't want that anyway. I want to go out there and contribute to the team."

Henderson has played in 157 of the Packers' last 159 games, but whether another mainstay of the Green Bay backfield will be around next season remains in doubt, as quarterback Brett Favre is considering whether to return or retire.

Henderson said he hasn't spoken to Favre since the end of the season, and doesn't know which way the legendary quarterback is leaning.

"When he decides to go, and I don't know when that will be ... I'm going to be saddened just because I've loved playing alongside this guy for so long," he said. "Until then I'm looking forward to protecting his back side and making sure nobody ever gets near him."

Local ties: Atlanta Falcons coach Jim Mora Jr. has coached two former University of Hawaii standouts in his career. While an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers he became friends with former Warrior linebacker Jeff Ulbrich, and he currently coaches Falcons guard Kynan Forney.

Mora expects Forney to make a return to Honolulu in coming years.

"I think Kynan will certainly be playing in this game many, many times," Mora said. "There's so many great offensive linemen in the NFC right now, it's tough to crack this lineup.

"I was actually a little disappointed that he wasn't nominated. But there's always a guy or two on your team where you say, 'Why is this guy not playing in the Pro Bowl?' It's just the breaks of the game, but Kynan's one of those guys."

Mora is familiar with Aloha Stadium, having played in two Aloha Bowls as a player at Washington in the early 1980s and coaching in the 1998 Pro Bowl with the 49ers staff.

Coaching in the Pro Bowl tends to be a bittersweet deal, as the coaches of the losing teams in the NFC and AFC championship games get a trip to Hawaii as a consolation prize. Though he'd rather be preparing the Falcons for tomorrow's Super Bowl, Mora is looking forward to coaching the NFC team, including Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.

"I like having Michael Vick in the game; he's not bad," Mora said. "You're going to see six great quarterbacks, but Michael Vick is a special athlete and more importantly to me is a special human being."

Flying high: The trip from San Francisco to Honolulu can be a long one, but 49ers cheerleader Jany Collaco is accustomed to long flights.

Collaco is a P-3 pilot in the U.S. Navy, and sometimes flies 14-hour missions. She is currently stationed in San Diego and is in her second year with the 49ers. She graduated from the Naval Academy with a degree in mathematics and earned a Master of Science in Operations Analysis at the Naval postgraduate school.

Collaco and the Pro Bowl cheerleading squad will take part in clinics and events throughout the week.

Pro Bowl Schedule

All times Hawaii time

Thursday

10 a.m.: NFC All-Stars Practice at Aloha Stadium.

12 p.m.: Pro Bowl Week Kick-Off Rally at Tamarind Park.

3 p.m.: Beach Bowling Bash at Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach.

Friday

9 a.m.: AFC All-Stars Practice at Aloha Stadium.

Noon to 6 p.m.: Pro Bowl Football Festival at Kapiolani Park.

12:30 p.m.: Pro Bowl Charity Golf Tournament at Waialae Country Club.

3 p.m. to 5 p.m.: NFL Military Challenge at Kapiolani Park.

7p.m. to midnight: Pro Bowl Block Party at Aloha Tower Marketplace.

Saturday

9 a.m.: AFC All-Stars Practice at Aloha Stadium.

10 a.m.: NFC All-Stars Practice at Aloha Stadium.

10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Pro Bowl Football Festival at Kapiolani Park.

6 p.m.: Sunset On the Beach-Pro Bowl Style at Queen's Beach.

6 p.m.: Hawaiian Airlines Pro Bowl Concert at Waikiki Shell.

Next Sunday

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: "Aloha Zone" Tailgate Party at Aloha Stadium Parking Lot near Gate 4.

11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Official Pro Bowl Tailgate Party "Magic of the Sea" at Richardson Field.

2 p.m.: Pro Bowl Pregame Show at Aloha Stadium.

2:30 p.m.: 2005 NFL Pro Bowl Game at Aloha Stadium.