HONOLULU — Except for the warm weather and the quiet fans, Brian Dawkins' third trip to the Pro Bowl has been a whole lot like a Philadelphia Eagles minicamp.
The All-Pro safety's teammates and coaches were everywhere he looked during the NFC's brief workout Wednesday at Aloha Stadium. The Eagles lost the conference championship game to Tampa Bay, giving them plenty of time to make it to Honolulu in an impressive Philly contingent at the NFL's all-star game.
"Seems like half the team is here," Dawkins said after signing autographs for a few hundred mellow fans. "I'm not surprised everybody got on the plane. It was 10 degrees when I left town. There's a comfort level for all of us, especially on defense. I wish our coaching staff wasn't here, though."
There are 10 Philadelphia players at the Pro Bowl, and they'll be led by the Eagles' coaching staff, the dubious honor given to the coaches of the losing teams in the conference title games. Though defensive end Hugh Douglas missed yesterday's workout because of a minor illness, green helmets and hats dominated the field.
Eight Philadelphia players were among the original 43 selections to the NFC team, and tackle Jon Runyan and quarterback Donovan McNabb were added as injury replacements. Even Green Bay tight end Bubba Franks left practice wearing an Eagles T-shirt, the result of the traditional gear-trading rituals of Pro Bowl week.
"We want to run an offensive play where we have all of our guys on the field," McNabb said with a grin. "We'll need a center, but that's all. The rest of the guys can have the day off."
NFC coach Andy Reid still is awaiting the arrival of Tampa Bay's six Pro Bowlers. Some of the Buccaneers were expected to fly in yesterday, fresh from their victory parade in Florida.
"It's a good opportunity to keep things simple and have some fun," said Reid, coaching the NFC for the second straight year. "Having so many of our guys here is a help to us, but we're just doing basic things and trying to enjoy the week."
The only rookie at the Pro Bowl is tight end Jeremy Shockey of the New York Giants. Fans eagerly sought the long-haired All-Pro's autograph, shouting his name and waving photos.
"It's a great honor to be here with all of these great players in my first year," Shockey said. "A lot of guys who aren't here don't enjoy another week of football, but I don't want to take it for granted, because you never know when you'll get another chance to get back here. It's special."
There are 12 first-time Pro Bowlers on the NFC roster. There will be 13 with the AFC, including New England center Damien Woody, a last-minute replacement for Oakland center Barret Robbins.
San Francisco quarterback Jeff Garcia took nearly all the snaps at the NFC's practice yesterday, since Tampa Bay's Brad Johnson hasn't arrived. In his third Pro Bowl trip, Garcia has learned his way around Honolulu enough to enjoy himself. He brought along his father, who sat in the stands wearing a cap with the letters "JG" on the 49ers' logo instead of the familiar "SF."
"This is much more fun than the regular season in a lot of ways," Garcia said. "It's an enjoyable week to eat some good food, hopefully go out and see the water a little bit and play a little football at the end."
