NEW YORK — Veterans Julio Jones, Eric Weddle, Von Miller and Adrian Peterson are among the 32 nominees for the NFL’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award along with rising young stars Lamar Jackson, Christian McCaffrey, Nick Chubb and Patrick Mahomes.
Each team nominates a player for the award, created in 2014 in honour of the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a Pro Football Hall of Famer. The award recognizes players around the league who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field. The winner is determined by a vote of current NFL players. From 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.
Results will be announced during NFL Honors, when the AP presents its individual award winners. That prime-time program from Miami will be on Feb. 1, the night before the Super Bowl. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees won the Rooney Award last year. Before that, winners were Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly; running back Frank Gore, then with the Indianapolis Colts; defensive back Charles Woodson of the Oakland Raiders; and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals.