MCHS GRADUATE AND TWO-TIME NFL PRO BOWL SELECTION LOGAN MANKINS IS PICTURED AT A GAME LAST SEASON AT OAKLAND. PHOTO COURTESY OF AL GOLUB For the second time in his short 5-year National Football League career, MCHS graduate Logan Mankins has been named to the NFL’s Pro Bowl.

Mankins, who hails from Cathey’s Valley and was a first-round draft pick out of Fresno State, told the

GAZETTE on Monday, “It’s a great feeling making it to the Pro Bowl. There’s a lot of players, so when you make it, it’s special.” He will start for the American Football Conference at his familiar offensive guard slot. The Pro Bowl will be played in Florida on Monday, Jan. 31.

He was a 3-sport standout at MCHS, performing at the All-Southern League level in football, basketball, and baseball. At age 27, he is now 6’4” and 310 pounds, playing for the New England Patriots of the AFC who drafted him in 2005.

MCHS GRADUATE AND TWO-TIME NFL PRO BOWL SELECTION LOGAN MANKINS IS PICTURED AT A GAME LAST SEASON AT SAN FRANCISCO. GAZETTE PHOTO BY JILL BALLINGER Mankins was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2008, and last year he was selected as an alternate. He has never missed a regular season game, which has earned him the praise of New England head coach Bill Belichick, saying Mankins is one of the Patriots’ “most consistent players.”

His aunt, District 3 Supervisor Janet Bibby said, “Logan gives a lot back to the community that most people don’t know anything about. We’re all really happy that he made the Pro Bowl again, and his family is very proud of him.”

Mankins is in his final year of his initial NFL contract and as of yet, hasn’t been resigned by the Patriots. On boston.com, the Web site operated by the Boston Globe, he said, “You think about it,’’ he said. “You see other guys signing extensions, and you wish you were one of those guys with an extension. You’ll have to ask the powers that be around here if I’m going to get one or not. Because I don’t know.’’

At the end of this season, Mankins will become a restricted free agent (RFA), which gives the Patriots a pair of options besides simply renegotiating his contract. New England can either give him its franchise tag, which isn’t likely, or tender him an offer at the highest RFA amount. Once they make that offer, any team other than New England that signs him to an offer would have to surrender first and third round draft picks to the Pats if they choose not to match. That threshold last year was $2.56 million.

Mankins’ agent Frank Bauer said he is confident the matter will be resolved. “They will renegotiate with Logan Mankins. They’re not going to let him get out of that place,” Bauer added.

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