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Eagles starting left guard Evan Mathis is finally headed to Hawaii. He will join fellow teammates LeSean McCoy and Nick Foles (previously a first alternate, but named to the Pro Bowl on Sunday night) there as the three players representing the Eagles. The Eagles would have had a total of four players representing the team in Hawaii had Jason Peters not opted out last week.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>All-Pro G <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanMathis69">@EvanMathis69</a> to join <a href="https://twitter.com/NFoles_9">@NFoles_9</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/CutonDime25">@CutonDime25</a> in Hawaii for the 2014 <a href="https://twitter.com/nfl">@nfl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ProBowl&src=hash">#ProBowl</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23FlyEaglesFly&src=hash">#FlyEaglesFly</a> <a href="http://t.co/FF7PaqSVEY">pic.twitter.com/FF7PaqSVEY</a></p>— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eagles/statuses/423236494782758912">January 14, 2014</a></blockquote>
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The 2014 NFL Pro Bowl will be the first of Mathis's career, and let me say it's about damn time. This recognition is overdue, and it's certainly deserving. Mathis was named to the AP All-Pro First Team and PFWA All-NFL Team this offseason, but only made the Pro Bowl as a second alternate. Snubbed no longer, Mathis will participate in the Pro Bowl due to the fact other Pro Bowl guards are still active in the 2014 NFL playoffs.
Mathis joined the Eagles in 2011 as an unheralded member of the Eagles free agent shopping spree. Since then, he's been a strong, reliable force as a starting guard on the Eagles offensive line. His prowess as a run blocker assists in giving LeSean McCoy space to run. Mathis is consistently graded as the top offensive guard in the NFL on performance grading site Pro Football Focus. In fact, he was their number one overall offensive lineman in 2013.
The recognition is well-deserved, but now it's time for Mathis to honor the terms of this bet he made two years ago. (Mathis said he would do the Kenny Powers mullet perm if he made the Pro Bowl.)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>If I make next year's Pro Bowl I'll do it. "<a href="https://twitter.com/Mfarabella">@Mfarabella</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanMathis69">@EvanMathis69</a> his mullet perm would look much better on you imho."</p>— Evan Mathis (@EvanMathis69) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanMathis69/statuses/156959468117168130">January 11, 2012</a></blockquote>
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