Julio Jones finishes No. 1 in Pro Bowl fan voting among NFC wide receivers

Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons led NFC wide receivers in fan voting for the Pro Bowl this year. The fan voting for the NFL's all-star game ended on Thursday, and the league released the results on Saturday.

Jones finished just outside the top 10 overall with 541,571 votes from fans. The No. 10 player in the voting, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette, received 544,068 votes from fans.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell finished on top of the fan balloting with 855,539 votes. Between Bell and Fournette in the top 10 were New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, Rams quarterback Jared Goff and Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The 44-player rosters for the AFC and NFC teams are determined by the votes of fans, coaches and players, with each group's results counting one-third in the selection process.

The Pro Bowl rosters will be announced at 7 p.m. CST Tuesday on NFL Network. The Pro Bowl will be played at 2 p.m. Jan. 28 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. ESPN will televise the game.

Jones earned Pro Bowl invitations in the 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons.

With three games remaining in the 2017 regular season, Jones has 73 receptions for 1,161 yards and three touchdowns this year.

Jones has led the NFC in receiving yards for three consecutive seasons. He's currently tied with Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen for the NFC lead in receiving yards in 2017.

It's over, Anakin! I have the high ground!#LastJedi pic.twitter.com/Oh1OFL2W2V
-- Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 14, 2017

Before becoming a pro, Jones was an All-State selection in 2006 and 2007 and the state's Mr. Football, Class 6A Back of the Year and a Parade All-American in 2007 at Foley High School.

Jones also won the long-jump and triple-jump championships twice apiece at the AHSAA Class 6A state track and field meet and the Class 6A high-jump title at the 2007 state indoor championships. He earned Gatorade Boys' Track and Field Athlete of the Year Award for Alabama in 2007.

During his three seasons as a starter at Alabama, Jones set school records for single-season receptions and receiving yards and single-game receiving yards and helped the Crimson Tide win the 2009 BCS national championship in an undefeated season.

Former West Alabama standout Tyreek Hill, a wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs, topped the fan balloting for AFC return specialist with 149,530 votes.

Hill went to the Pro Bowl last season as a rookie, when he led the NFL with a 15.2-yard average on punt returns.

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The leaders in fan votes at each position in each conference included:

Quarterback: Tom Brady, Patriots, AFC; Carson Wentz, Eagles, NFC.
Running back: Le'Veon Bell, Steelers, AFC; Todd Gurley, Rams, NFC.
Fullback: Tommy Bohanon, Jaguars, AFC; Kyle Juszczyk, 49ers, NFC.
Wide receiver: Antonio Brown, Steelers, AFC; Julio Jones, Falcons, NFC.
Tight end: Rob Gronkowski, Patriots, AFC; Zach Ertz, Eagles, NFC.
Offensive tackle: Alejandro Villanueva, Steelers, AFC; Tyron Smith, Cowboys, NFC.
Guard: David DeCastro, Steelers, AFC; Zack Martin, Cowboys, NFC.
Center: Maurkice Pouncey, Steelers, AFC; Travis Frederick, Cowboys, NFC.
Defensive end: Joey Bosa, Chargers, AFC; Everson Griffen, Vikings, NFC.
Defensive tackle: Geno Atkins, Bengals, AFC; Aaron Donald, Rams, NFC.
Outside linebacker: Von Miller, Broncos, AFC; Chandler Jones, Cardinals, NFC.
Inside linebacker: Ryan Shazier, Steelers, AFC; Luke Kuechly, Panthers, NFC.
Cornerback: A.J. Bouye, Jaguars, AFC; Xavier Rhodes, Vikings, NFC.
Strong safety: Micah Hyde, Bills, AFC; Kam Chancellor, Seahawks, NFC.
Free safety: Kevin Byard, Titans, AFC; Earl Thomas, Seahawks, NFC.
Place-kicker: Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots, AFC; Greg Zuerlein, Rams, NFC.
Punter: Marquette King, Raiders, AFC; Johnny Hekker, Rams, NFC.
Return specialist: Tyreek Hill, Chiefs, AFC; Pharoh Cooper, Rams, NFC.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill celebrates with fans after scoring a touchdown during an NFL game against the New York Jets on Dec. 3, 2017, in East Rutherford, N.J. AP Photo

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.

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