The 32 player nominees for the fifth 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 players around the league who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field, and the Oakland Raiders nominee is quarterback Derek Carr.
Each team's player is nominated by the organization's Director of Public/Media Relations. This marks the third straight year that Carr has been nominated for the award, which was won by Charles Woodson in 2015.
The award was created in 2014 in honor of the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Rooney, Sr.
A panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community will select eight finalists (four in the AFC and four in the NFC) from the 32 nominees. The panel is comprised of Warrick Dunn, Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler. The eight finalists will be listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote on Friday, December 14.
The winner of the NFL Sportsmanship Award is determined by a vote of current NFL players. From the eight finalists, each team's players will submit a consensus vote of their choice for the winner. As in Pro Bowl voting, a team cannot vote for its own player.
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.
Past recipients of the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award are Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers (2017), Frank Gore of the Indianapolis Colts (2016), Charles Woodson of the Oakland Raiders (2015) and Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals (2014).
The winner selected by the vote of the players will be announced during the nationally televised NFL Honors show on Saturday, February 2 on CBS, the night before Super Bowl LIII. He will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice. He will 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.
