Za’Darius Smith, Daron Payne don’t win Longest Drive
While Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson, New York Jets middle linebacker C.J. Mosley and Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer all unleashed drives of more than 300 yards, the YouTube-instructed golfers in the Longest Drive competition at the NFL’s Pro Bowl Games had less success.
Before they stepped to the tee, Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith and Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne said they had turned to YouTube videos to see how to drive a golf ball after getting their assignment in the NFL’s new postseason competition for its all-stars.
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While Payne took the traditional approach to get hacker results off the tee, the videos that Smith consulted seemed to have come from the movie “Happy Gilmore” as he tried to hit the ball on the move.
Poyer had the longest drive at 320 yards to win the competition among the eight golfers (four from each conference) and pick up three points for the AFC.
In September, the NFL eliminated the Pro Bowl game and replaced it with a skills competition. After the Longest Drive, the competition continued on Thursday night with Epic Pro Bowl Dodgeball, Lightning Round, Precision Passing and the first round of Best Catch and concludes on Sunday with the Best Catch finale, Gridiron Gauntlet, Kick Tac Toe, Move the Chains and three flag-football games.
The winning conference of each skill competition gets three points. The winning conference from each of the first two flag football games receives six points. The points earned by each conference entering the final flag-football game will be the starting score for that contest, and the team winning the third flag-football game will be the winner of the Pro Bowl Games.
The AFC will take a 9-3 lead into Sunday. The AFC’s quarterbacks won Precision Passing, and Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio emerged from 40 players to take the Lightning Round for the AFC.
The NFC got its points when San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle put out Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to be the last man standing in the Epic Pro Bowl Dodgeball final between the NFC Offense and the AFC Defense.
Sunday’s Pro Bowl Games competition will be televised by ESPN from 2 to 5 p.m. CST from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Fitzpatrick, Mosley and Payne are Alabama alumni. Smith played at Greenville High School, with Mosley playing at Theodore and Payne at Shades Valley.
They’re four of the 14 players from Alabama high schools and colleges participating in the Pro Bowl Games. The others are:
· Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (Alabama)
· Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (Alabama)
· Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (Alabama)
· Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (West Alabama)
· Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (Hoover, Alabama)
· Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (Alabama)
· Tennessee Titans center Ben Jones (Bibb County)
· Washington Commanders special-teamer Jeremy Reaves (South Alabama)
· Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II (Alabama)
· New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (Wenonah, Alabama)
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.