The 44th edition of the National Football League's Super Bowl gets an early start. For the first time in league history, the Pro Bowl is to be played a week prior to the annual championship, Jan. 31 in Miami.

Football Championship Subdivision programs are well-represented in this, the 40th edition of the Pro Bowl. Headlining the selections are First Team All-Pro nominees Jared Allen of the Minnesota Vikings and Darren Sharper of the New Orleans Saints.

Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota Vikings (Idaho State '03)
The charismatic Allen anchored a Minnesota defense that ranked tops in the NFC at just over 250 yards allowed per game. His 14.5 sacks was tops in the NFL. Allen picked off one pass and made 51 total tackles.

Darren Sharper, S, New Orleans Saints (William & Mary '96)
A resurgent 2009 for Darren Sharper yielded . He will not play in Sunday's Pro Bowl, as his Saints meet the Indianapolis Colts in the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance Feb. 7. He picked off nine passes, returning three of them for touchdowns. He also made 52 tackles.

Robert Mathis, DE, Indianapolis Colts (Alabama A&M '02)
Another Super Bowl-bound performer who will not play Sunday, Mathis completed perpetual Colt Pro Bowler Dwight Freeney on one of the NFL's top defensive lines. He forced five fumbles and registered 9.5 sacks.

Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys (Eastern Illinois '02)
Tony Romo appeared in his third Playoffs this season and registered his first postseason win, helping Dallas dissect rival Philadelphia in an NFC Wild Card game. He completed 27 touchdown passes, compared to just nine interceptions, and finished the campaign with a 97.6 quarterback rating.

Miles Austin, WR, Dallas Cowboys (Monmouth '05)
The No. 1 target of the aforementioned Romo, Miles Austin stepped in as the replacement for another FCS alumnus-turned-Pro Bowler Terrell Owens. He corralled 11 touchdown passes and over 1300 total receiving yards on the year.

Vincent Jackson, WR, San Diego Chargers (Northern Colorado '04)
The 6-foot-5 Jackson emerged as the top pass catching option for the prolific Charger aerial attack with 1167 yards on the season. He hauled in nine touchdowns for the AFC West champions.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Arizona Cardinals (Tennessee State '07)
In just his second season with the Cardinals, Rodgers-Cromartie emerged as the team's premiere secondary performer with six interceptions, three forced fumbles and 50 tackles.

Yeremiah Bell, SS, Miami Dolphins (Eastern Kentucky '03)
Starting 15 of 16 games and appearing in every outing for the second consecutive season, Bell led the Dolphins with 114 tackles. He picked off three passes.

Nick Collins, FS, Green Bay Packers (Bethune-Cookman '04)
Six interceptions and 53 tackles marked Nick Collins' 2009 season, a campaign in which the Bethune-Cookman alum became a strong complement to fellow Packer secondary Pro Bowler and Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson.

Aaron Corp committed to a championship football program coming into college.

The quarterback should finish at a championship football program.

He'll just be 2600 miles away from his original destination.

Corp was officially introduced as the University of Richmond's latest addition Monday, his first day of class since departing the University of Southern California.

"I started digging around, searching for schools. After doing some research I took a trip out here, really loved the school, and it seemed like a good fit," Corp said of Richmond. "At Richmond you're going to compete every year. With the championship a couple years ago, that made [the decision] easy for me."

Touring campus with UR wide receiver Kevin Grayson his first day, Corp said he was getting acquainted with his new surroundings a continent away from the Los Angeles bustle.

"It's colder. That's something I'll have to get used to," Corp said with a chuckle, adding: "The classes are smaller [at UR than USC]. Other than that, the campus is awesome. It's easy to be here."

Corp is one of several departures from USC in recent weeks. Damian Williams and Joe McKnight both declared their entry in the 2010 National Football League last week, and most notable was former head coach Pete Carroll's leaving for the Seattle Seahawks.

Carroll accepted the Seahawks head coaching position Monday, something Corp said came as "a complete surprise," and "had nothing to do with" with Corp's decision to transfer.

His intention to leave USC came earlier, with the wheels set in motion in August. Named the Trojans' intended starting quarterback for the 2009 season last spring, Corp suffered a knee injury in mid-August that sidelined him for the season's opening weeks.

Freshman Matt Barkley took over the job while Corp recooperated.

"Just an unfortunate situation," Corp said of the injury. " I sat down with my family and discussed either staying or transferring, and came to the decision it would be better for me to transfer."

Some Football Bowl Subdivision programs made his short list, but NCAA rules grant a player immediate eligibility if he transfers from the FBS to a Football Championship Subdivision university.

"The opportunity to play right away attracted me to an FCS school," he said.

The quarterback begins strength and conditioning training immediately in preparation for spring practices under new Spider head coach LaTrell Scott. There, he will compete with John Laub from starting duties.

"The spring time is going to be open competition. I have to earn everything I get, so that's just more incentive to work hard," Corp said.

Laub appeared in five games spelling four-year starting quarterback Eric Ward. Ward leaves UR with over 10,000 career yards combined rushing and passing, appeared in three FCS Playoffs, won the 2008 Div. I National Championship and sets a high bar for his successor.

"If that means playing the way Eric did, or playing to my strengths, whatever the coaches ask of me I'll do," Corp said, adding that he'll incorporate lessons taken from USC into his play at UR.

"I had great position coaches at USC. I owe them a lot for my development. Learning from them, and their backgrounds, will only help me here."

NEWS AND NOTES

Appalachian State released its 2010 schedule today, with one very intriguing date popping out: Nov. 20, the Mountaineers travel to Gainesville to play Florida.

The match-up features programs that have won a combined five championships since 2005, with ASU's three NCAA titles (2005-2007) and Florida's two Bowl Championship Series crown (2006, 2008).

But more significant is it's another trek into BCS heavyweight territory for the Mountaineers, who in 2007 made history with their defeat of then-No. 2 Michigan.

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Villanova head coach Andy Talley was named the American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year for the Championship Subdivision Tuesday. It's the second time Talley has been given the honor, the first coming in 1997.

Quarterback Aaron Corp is leaving the University of Southern California and taking his game cross-country to the University of Richmond.

The announcement came today from Richmond athletics.

Corp was named the starter at USC last spring, but an August knee injury sidelined him and opened the door for freshman Matt Barkley, who was the Trojans' snaptaker for most of the 2009 campaign.

Corp and redshirt freshman John Laub should compete for the vacant starting quarterback slot. For the first time since very early 2006, it won't be Eric Ward calling plays for the Spiders.

Ward departed this season with over 10,000 career yards, three playoff appearances and a national championship. In his senior season, Ward passed for just below 2400 yards and rushed for another nearly 500 in leading UR to an 11-2 record and share of the Colonial Athletic Association championship.

Corp is the second quarterback from a Bowl Championship Subdivision program to transfer to a CAA school in recent weeks. Mike Paulus, brother of former Syracuse quarterback and Duke point guard Greg Paulus, left North Carolina for William & Mary.