Football fans pack practice for NFL Pro Bowl

Pro Bowl experience open Friday, Sunday

WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT, Fla. – Football fans from all across the country are descending on Central Florida this week for the NFL Pro Bowl.

Before the Super Bowl kicks off in Miami on Feb. 2, Orlando is home to the Pro Bowl yet again.

The Pro Bowl Experience at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, fans can watch players practice for free. There's also an interactive festival that challenges fans to pass catch and test their speed against some of the NFL's best.

From top to bottom, the players featured at the Pro Bowl are the best at their positions.

"Just an amazing collection of talent and it's an honor for them to be out here and for them to be voted the best in 2019 by their peers," Pro Bowl Legends Captain Bruce Smith said.

Jamie Reedle, of Winter Garden, found a good spot to watch practice.

“Just love to see the players and I like to support that we have such a great thing in our area,” she said.

“I love Disney so of course, I came down to visit Disney and I had to make my own custom ears,” Shirley Bonnett, of Maryland, said.

And for University of Central Florida Knights’ fans, there are some familiar faces. This is the first Pro Bowl for Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin who graduated from UCF just a few years ago.

And if you think the fun is limited to just the fans, think again. This is the first time Patriots special teamer Matthew Slater has been able to attend the Pro Bowl in Orlando.

“My children -- to see them be so excited, talking about seeing Mickey Mouse and going to Disney -- to see the joy they have outweighs anything I’ll experience this week,” he said.

Kickoff for the Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium is set for 3 p.m. on Sunday.

You can see your favorite players ahead of Sunday's game during free practices here, which continue Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m.

Pro Bowl Experience Hours of Operation:

Friday, January 24: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Saturday, January 25: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM

To learn more, click here.


About the Author:

It has been an absolute pleasure for Clay LePard living and working in Orlando since he joined News 6 in July 2017. Previously, Clay worked at WNEP TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he brought viewers along to witness everything from unprecedented access to the Tobyhanna Army Depot to an interview with convicted double-murderer Hugo Selenski.

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