There are now two Miami Dolphins slated to play in Sunday's Pro Bowl at Sun Life Stadium as kicker Dan Carpenter was added to the AFC squad today as an injury replacement for San Diego Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding.

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Carpenter joins strong safety Yeremiah Bell as the team's two representatives and becomes just the third Dolphins kicker to make the Pro Bowl (Olindo Mare in 1999 and Garo Yepremian in 1973 and 1978). Left tackle Jake Long pulled out two weeks ago due to an injury after being selected as a starter and was replaced by New York Jets left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

Kaeding actually participated in this morning's opening practice at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale but had pulled up with an injury, opening the door for Carpenter to suit up. Just like Bell, this is Carpenter's first Pro Bowl selection in this his second year in the NFL.

"It's an honor to be named to the Pro Bowl and especially this year since the game will be played in Miami," Carpenter said. "I am looking forward to representing the Dolphins. I know I wouldn't be here without the help of my teammates, especially [punter] Brandon (Fields) and [long snapper] John (Denney) as well as Coach (Tony) Sparano and Coach (John) Bonamego and Coach (Darren) Rizzi."

After a solid rookie campaign in 2008, when he helped the Dolphins win their first AFC East title since 2000 and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2001, Carpenter ended his second season with a career-high 112 points. He was 25-of-28 on field goals and 37-of-38 on extra points and had two game-winning field goals – a 25-yarder with 10 seconds left in regulation to beat Tampa Bay, 25-23, on November 15th and a 41-yarder with 1:02 remaining to upset New England, 22-21, on December 6th. Carpenter was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his kick against the Patriots.

BELL LINES UP WITH DIVISION RIVALS IN AFC SECONDARY: In a sight sure not to sit well with diehard Dol-fans, Bell was caught high-fiving Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis after one of the passing drills, but at least they were wearing the same colored jersey. Bell and Revis are joined by New England Patriots safety Brandon Merriweather in an AFC East-heavy secondary that will try to make life miserable for NFC quarterbacks Aaron Rogers, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo.

"They'll get over that," Bell said about Miami fans seeing him, Revis and Merriweather get friendly on the field this week. "Hopefully, they understand the magnitude of this game. They know we're all together for a great cause. We have to do it. Our secondary has three guys from the AFC East, so I think fans will get a kick out of that."

Bell replaced Indianapolis Colts safety Antoine Bethea, who will be playing against the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV at Sun Life Stadium one week from Sunday, and Merriweather was an injury replacement for Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed. Since the Super Bowl participants weren't determined until this past Sunday night, the replacement players were given short notice of their good fortune.

"I figured it out Sunday night after the Colts game. They called me up and left me a message. I was actually asleep," Bell said. "I kind of fell asleep so I woke up to the voice mail on my phone, called the number back and they had told me and I was so excited that I really forget everything after that point."

Luckily for Bell, he has a home right here in South Florida and was still in town doing some offseason conditioning so travel arrangements weren't necessary. He did arrange to fly his mother, Polly Bell, in for the week so that she could enjoy the festivities and the luxury of staying at the team hotel, which for the AFC is the Marriott Harbor Beach Hotel.

Bell knew he was an alternate at the end of the regular season and that there was a strong possibility he might get the call since this is the first time the league set things up this way to where the Pro Bowl is being the week before the Super Bowl. With the Colts and Saints each landing seven players on their respective Pro Bowl rosters, there was going to have to be some shuffling around to ensure both squads have enough players, and now Bell gets to be among the best of the best.

"It's amazing to be around the caliber of guys that's out here, these All-Pro guys, you know guys that you watch every Sunday," said Bell, who led the Dolphins in tackles for the second straight season with 113, was second in interceptions with three and added 1.5 sacks. "Obviously, it just feels good to be out here and in the presence of these guys. It's a big testament to my teammates for helping me get to this stage and something that I'm definitely proud of and something that I'm going to have fun with."

Even though there is a lot of fun involved during Pro Bowl week, Bell still plans on taking a serious approach to the actual game once he gets on the field as the first Dolphins safety since Brock Marion in 2003 to play in a Pro Bowl.

"I'm going to play my game. On Sunday, when they blow the whistle, all I can do is play. I'm not going be out there half-stepping," Bell said. "I only know one speed on game day and that's all out. So that's how I'm going to approach it."

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