The 32 player nominees for the second annual Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award have been finalized, the NFL announced Wednesday. Each NFL team nominated one of its players for the award, which recognizes NFL players who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field.
The award was created last season in honor of the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Rooney Sr.
The winner of the NFL Sportsmanship Award is determined by a vote of current NFL players. A panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community will select from the 32 nominees eight finalists (four in the AFC; four in the NFC). The panel is comprised of Warrick Dunn, Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler.
The award is presented each year to an NFL player who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition.
In 2014, the players chose Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals as the inaugural winner of the Art Rooney Award.
The winner selected by the vote of the players will be announced during the nationally televised "5th Annual NFL Honors" show on Saturday, February 6 on CBS, the night before Super Bowl 50. He will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice. He also receive a trophy that represents the important role that sportsmanship plays in the game and how NFL players that demonstrate integrity and honor on the field serve as role models for players at all levels.
The nominees are: