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Initially, I had a lot on my mind, a lot to say. I had a lot of anger as well as disappointment. But I’ve had some time to step back from it and think hard about my words before I said anything, simply based on the fact that Jon Vilma is one of my friends, like me a University of Miami linebacker standout and a guy I admired and looked up to in college.

So even though I felt like I was shafted from the Pro Bowl, I wouldn’t want it to come out publicly in any fashion that I’m downplaying the year he had or the type of player he is.

As far as London Fletcher being the first alternate, I can live with that. He’s had a long and underappreciated career. And in my eyes, I’ve always seen him as a very consistent, very good player.

To me, it’s not so much about breaking records. It reminds me about the Colts having the opportunity to go undefeated and break that record. It’s not about breaking records, it’s about finishing first. To me, that’s all I want to do. Year in and year out, as long as I’m wearing a helmet, as long as my play represents my family and my name, I want to strive to finish first.

When you do that, and it’s overlooked, it is a very demoralizing feeling.

Things like being named NFC Player of the Week and team MVP, as well as the highest praise from the likes of Bill Belichick, Sean Payton and Brian Billick, coaches that are widely respected and renowned, to go out of their way and mention  my name as a guy who deserves to go to the Pro Bowl, or make reference to me being one of the best linebackers they’d ever seen, almost makes it hurt worse.

So, as an athlete, what do we do best? Let it roll of your back and move on to the next play. I refuse to be ashamed of the season I had, especially with all the circumstances that don’t get mentioned, and allow the hype of the Pro Bowl to linger and dwell on my mind.

Moving forward, I’ve decided to walk around like I always have, with my chin up and my chest pushed out, being proud of the man I am and the player I am, and to do what I’ve always done: Strive to finish first.

The best thing that I heard after realizing that I wasn’t going to be in the 2010 Pro Bowl was what my marketing director told me. My marketing agent is Robert Bailey, who played at Miami and in the NFL for 10-plus years. He was one of the first people I talked to after I found out that I wasn’t going. He told me a story about a test he took in college, one he studied for for days, five hours a day, he studied so hard because he wanted to do so well. Well, he got a 98 on the test and he couldn’t wait to tell his brother, who was a doctor. When you work hard for something and it pays off, it’s a very emotional, very rewarding feeling. So he calls his brother and tells him he got a 98 on the test. And his brother said, you should have gotten 100. You should have studied harder. He refused to give his approval because perfection is the goal.

Robert was telling me that maybe I have to shoot for something bigger than the Pro Bowl. Maybe I should work out even harder and aim for being the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year and the Super Bowl MVP next year. Maybe that’s what God is telling me, to set my sights even higher.

So hats off to all of the players who made it and just know that it fueled the fire for next year. This won’t be the last time you hear about Jon Beason being snubbed for the Pro Bowl. Because based on my play next year, they’ll still be talking about it.

Carolina Panthers All-Pro middle linebacker Jon Beason writes a blog for www.playerpress.com at www.jonbeason.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jonbeason.