Henderson awaits word on Pro Bowl

Vikings coach Brad Childress said earlier this season that middle linebacker E.J. Henderson was playing at a Pro Bowl level. Henderson will find out if the rest of the NFL agrees Tuesday, when the rosters for the league's all-star game Feb. 10 in Honolulu are announced.

"It will be interesting," Henderson said. "But even to be talked about, that means I'm making some progress and on the way up. Even if I don't make it, it will give me something to shoot for next year and the year after."

Henderson, who returned to middle linebacker this season after playing the past two years on the weak side, is ranked 18th in the league with 98 tackles, according to the NFL's statistics. The 17 players ahead of him are all linebackers, so there will be plenty of competition for the NFC's two inside positions.

Henderson's 3.5 sacks, however, are more than any of the 17 players ahead of him. He also has three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. The Vikings' defensive statistics, which are based on the coaches' film review, have Henderson with a team-leading 126 tackles.

The Pro Bowl balloting process gives a one-third say to coaches, players and fans. The fan voting ended Tuesday, with the Bears' Brian Urlacher leading NFC inside linebackers with 325,073 votes. Coaches and players voted this past Thursday and Friday.

"Your peers are always the ones that count," Henderson said. "I think guys definitely want the respect of their peers. That's why you come out, you play and work so hard. You want the people that you play and work with to respect what you're doing. So I think that's definitely more important than the fan voting."

• Childress said receiver Bobby Wade (knee), safety Mike Doss (hamstring), nickel back Charles Gordon (quadriceps) and offensive lineman Artis Hicks (back) all did a bit more work in Saturday's practice than the day before but remain listed as questionable for Monday night's game against Chicago. Safety Tank Williams (knee) is doubtful.

• Willie (Jeff) Jeffries, who became the first black head football coach at an NCAA Division I-A university when he took over at Wichita State in 1979, spoke to the Vikings after practice Saturday. "A great man and may have been the best speaker we have had, [nose tackle] Pat Williams told me, all year long," Childress said. Jeffries is the father-in-law of Vikings tight ends coach Jimmie Johnson.

• Vikings defensive end Kenechi Udeze said his appeal of the $7,500 fine he received for a hit on Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre on Nov. 11 was heard last Tuesday by the NFL.