"Cameron Wake's remarkable rise took another substantial leap Tuesday when the Dolphins outside linebacker was named to his first Pro Bowl.

Coincidentally, it will be Jan. 30, Wake's 29th birthday.

"Best birthday present I've ever gotten," Wake said.

Wake, who leads the NFL with 14 sacks entering the season's final weekend, is one of two Dolphins selected to start for the AFC. Left tackle Jake Long, picked for the third time in as many pro seasons, is the other.

Wake said he will make good on teammate Channing Crowder's demand that he take him along to Hawaii. Crowder kept telling Wake during the preseason that he was going to have a Pro Bowl year, joking with his fellow linebacker that if it happened all he would need was a "ticket and a room."

Shortly before the selection was announced, Crowder texted Wake to see if he was free for dinner. The two couldn't link up, but in about a month they should be spending plenty of quality time together.

"I wouldn't doubt that's something I would do," Wake said. "He's been in my corner from early on, helping me from the moment I got here. Without a doubt, he's a guy you love having in your corner. … I'm sure we'll talk later, trying to get all the details worked out."

Wake, a former two-time Canadian Football League Defensive Player of the Year, contributed 5.5 sacks in a reserve role last season while playing behind veterans Jason Taylor and Joey Porter."