With James Harrison preparing for another Super Bowl, the star linebacker won’t be participating this weekend in the Pro Bowl. Instead, Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips will take up the spot in his stead after a very good season, one in which Phillips was the top sack guy on the squad with 11 in total. While the Chargers largely struggled to get consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback, Phillips was a bright spot, and a main reason that the Chargers finished as the number one rated passing defense.

The selection is Phillips’ first for the Pro Bowl and he’ll join Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates on the squad, though Gates won’t be playing because of his lingering foot injury. Phillips just finished his seventh season in the league after getting drafted out of Purdue and has been one of the more consistent players in the Chargers linebacking corps since draft day. Though Phillips finally got his recognition this season, he likely should have been awarded a Pro Bowl slot back in 2006, when he had a career-high 11.5 sacks in just 14 games. Phillips has remained a solid pass-rusher since and forced seven fumbles in 2009, proving that he’s a ballhawk who can turn an average play into a big one for the Chargers’ defense. Moving forward, clearly the Chargers will need to continue to see a high level of play out of Phillips, who has become and integral part of their defense.

For San Diego Chargers tickets, go to Stubhub.com.