HONOLULU ? Ricky Williams might be the NFL’s most profoundly mellow star, so it isn’t surprising that Hawaii’s warm sun and cool breezes always bring out the best in him.

In his first Pro Bowl, the Miami running back rushed for 56 yards, scored two touchdowns and forced a fumble on special teams to earn the MVP award Sunday in the AFC’s 45-20 victory over the NFC.

Success on the islands is nothing new for Williams, who capped his Heisman Trophy-winning senior season at Texas by earning MVP honors in the 1999 Hula Bowl. Hawaii suits his famously detached personality, but his effort was anything but mellow.

“What’s fun is how laid-back everything is,” Williams said. “It’s always great to get in the end zone, but it’s especially great to do it against the best players in the world with millions of people watching.”

He was the biggest contributor to a balanced AFC effort featuring 100-yard passing games by all three quarterbacks and a record-tying six interceptions by the defense. Staked to a big early lead by Williams and starting quarterback Rich Gannon, the AFC cruised to its sixth victory in the last seven Pro Bowls.

Williams, who led the NFL in rushing for the Dolphins after three tough seasons in New Orleans, also caught three passes as the AFC jumped to a 28-6 halftime lead and eliminated the tension — already minor at best — from this good-natured exhibition.

“I always like coming here, because it’s a free vacation,” said Oakland safety Rod Woodson, who had two interceptions in his 11th Pro Bowl appearance. “We were able to jump on top early with some big defensive plays, and that’s all you need in this game.”

Gannon, the MVP of the regular season and the previous two Pro Bowls, went 12-for-18 for 102 yards and two TDs as the NFL wrapped up its season with another high-scoring, entertaining all-star game. Drew Bledsoe passed for 122 yards, and Peyton Manning had 100.

The AFC nearly broke the Pro Bowl record of 51 points set by the NFC in 2000. But Buffalo’s Eric Moulds was ruled out of bounds in the end zone with 1:24 left after a 36-yard pass from Manning.

The coaching staffs from Philadelphia and Tennessee made sure the game was decided in the air. The teams set records for most combined pass attempts (101) and combined interceptions (8).

A sellout crowd at Aloha Stadium enjoyed another blowout victory for the AFC, which has dominated the matchup in recent years. Each of the AFC’s players earned $30,000 for the win, with the NFC’s stars receiving $15,000 apiece.

Miami's Ricky Williams bowls his way through the NFC defense, including Green Bay's Darren Sharper (42) and Chicago's Brian Urlacher (54), for the first of his two touchdowns. Williams earned the MVP award in the AFC's 45-20 victory over the NFC in Sunday's Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.

Kansas City tight end Tony Gonzalez caught five passes for 98 yards and a TD, while Jerry Rice had four catches for 36 yards in his 13th Pro Bowl appearance — his first representing the Raiders with the AFC.

“It seems every time we’re over here, we do pretty well,” Gonzalez said. “The last couple of games I’ve played in, it wasn’t even close.”

Williams got the AFC off to a fast start. After Miami teammate Jason Taylor intercepted Jeff Garcia’s pass near midfield on the opening possession, Williams broke an 18-yard run on the AFC’s first offensive play before scoring easily three plays later.

In the second quarter, Williams even forced a fumble while playing on the kickoff coverage team for the first time since the eighth grade.

Williams also scored with 47 seconds left in the first half to give a 28-6 lead to the AFC — though he ran the wrong direction on the play before simply bowling over Washington’s Champ Bailey.

Williams, an avid traveler, plans to spend the next month in Costa Rica and Thailand, and he doesn’t plan to think about football until he’s done vacationing.

AFC/Miami Dolphins cornerback Sam Madison, left, is brought down by NFC running back Marshall Faulk after Madison collected one of the AFC's six interceptions. The AFC won the Pro Bowl, 45-20, on Sunday in Honolulu.

“I had a great time this whole week hanging out with the guys,” he said. “I got a chance to see this beautiful island and relax. Hopefully I’ll be able to come back many, many more times.”

Garcia, making his first Pro Bowl start, threw three interceptions in the first 17 minutes. Donovan McNabb wasn’t much better for the NFC, and New England’s Ty Law returned one of Buccaneers QB Brad Johnson’s passes for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The NFC’s best performance might have come from its kicker. Philadelphia’s David Akers set a Pro Bowl record by kicking a 53-yard field goal against a strong crosswind in the second quarter.

The Super Bowl champions were well-represented, with six Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the lineup. Linebacker Shelton Quarles was a last-second addition; he already was in Hawaii for a vacation when Atlanta’s Keith Brooking dropped out.

Gannon appeared to be recovered from his Super Bowl malaise, though facing only a few players from Tampa Bay’s punishing defense probably helped.

Asked if the AFC was seeking revenge for the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl triumph, safety John Lynch said: “It seemed like Rich Gannon did. I don’t know what it is. They’ve been getting the better of us in this game.”