History of the Pro Bowl

The NFL's Pro Bowl has existed since the 1939 season. Originally, it was a contest pitting the game's newly crowned title winner against a band of league all stars.

Since 1980, the game has been played at Honolulu's Aloha Stadium, the initial contest marking the first time an NFL game was played on non-league soil. From 1942 through the 1951 season, no game was held and after the AFL-NFL merger of 1970, the name of the contest was officially changed to the “AFC-NFC Pro Bowl.”

The AFC currently leads the series 19-18. Since the name change the coaches of the two teams have been automatically selected from the staffs of the losing teams in the conference championship games. Participating players are selected based on a combination of coaches, player and fan balloting.

Fans have been allowed to cast their votes for the top players in the league since 1985. Today, the official NFL.com Web site serves as the primary spot where fans can cast their votes. 

The first Pro Bowl MVP award was presented in 1951. From 1957 to 1971, co-MVP awards were given to offensive back and defensive linemen of the game, but since 1973 the award has been presented to a single winner.

Oakland Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon is the only two-time Pro Bowl MVP winner in league history. He walked away with the hardware following the 2001 and 2002 games.

Pro Bowls by Year