ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - New England Patriots running back Corey Dillon has been selected to participate in his fourth career Pro Bowl. Dillon is the sixth Patriots player on the AFC's 2005 Pro Bowl roster, joining teammates Tom Brady, Tedy Bruschi, Larry Izzo, Richard Seymour and Adam Vinatieri. The six Patriots will represent the AFC in the NFL's annual all-star game in Hawaii on Feb. 13. Dillon had previously earned Pro Bowl nods for three consecutive seasons from 1999-2001. The eight-year veteran was added to this year's AFC Pro Bowl roster in place of Indianapolis Colts running back Edgerrin James, who will miss the game due to injury (back).
In 2004, Dillon turned in one of the finest seasons by any running back in the 45-year history of the Patriots franchise. He set the club's single-season record with a career-high 1,635 rushing yards, besting the previous mark of 1,487 yards (Curtis Martin, 1995). Dillon achieved the feat despite missing a game due to injury, and his rushing total still ranked third in the NFL, just 62 yards behind Curtis Martin's league-leading total. Dillon led the league with an average of 109.0 yards per game in which he played. He exceeded the 100-yard rushing plateau in nine separate games, tying Martin's 1995 total for the most 100-yard games in a season in Patriots history. Dillon also set a career high with 12 rushing touchdowns, tying him for third in team history in that category.
Dillon's productivity continued into the playoffs, as he totaled 217 yards in the Patriots' two playoff wins leading to their AFC championship. In his first career playoff game on Jan. 16, Dillon ran for 144 yards on 23 carries as the Patriots controlled the ball in a 20-3 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the divisional playoffs. His 144 yards constitute the second highest single-game rushing total in Patriots playoff history.
The 6-foot-1-inch, 225-pounder was acquired by the Patriots from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for a 2004 second round draft pick (56th overall - FS Madieu Williams) on April 19, 2004. In his regular-season career, the 30-year-old has run for a total of 9,696 yards, placing him 18th in NFL history.
