AP 2011 NFL All-Pro Team: 49ers' Justin Smith Voted Onto All-Pro Team Twice

Jan 07 6:02a by Bill Hanstock

The San Francisco 49ers had a spectacular season in 2011, exceeding all expectations. En route to capturing the No. 2 seed in the NFC as one of the top teams in all of football, many Niners players had standout seasons. Perhaps none moreso than Justin Smith, who made history when the AP 2011 NFL All-Pro Team selections were announced.

Smith does not play a historically flashy position, nor is his performance in 2011 augmented by gaudy numbers. But the 3-4 defensive end played a tremendous year and his team benefited greatly from his continued presence on the field. Aldon Smith, for example, came up just 0.5 sacks short of the all-time rookie record for sacks, largely due to Smith being around, clearing paths.

The voters for the All-Pro Team were certainly taking notice, however. Smith was named to the First Team as defensive tackle and named to the Second Team as a defensive end.

49ers PR Director Bob Lange shared some factoids on Twitter Friday night about the unprecedented nature of the vote:

@49ersPR
Bob Lange Per AP - #49ers Justin Smith is 1st player ever named 1st and 2nd team AP All-Pro at diff. positions in same phase of the game - DT & DE
Jan 07 via Twitter for iPadFavorite RetweetReply

@49ersPR
Bob Lange Deion Sanders was named 1st team kick returner and 2nd team CB in '92. Only player other than J.Smith named 1st & 2nd team at two positions
Jan 07 via Twitter for iPadFavorite RetweetReply

The All-Pro selections are based on a 4-3 defense, which is why Smith ended up primarily as a DT after the vote. Smith does play at defensive tackle when the Niners run with the nickel defense.

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