Mahomes among 5 champions recognized for sportsmanship
NEW YORK (AP) — Super Bowl champions Patrick Mahomes, Ben Roethlisberger, Lavonte David, Jason McCourty and Matthew Slater are among the players nominated for the NFL's sportsmanship award.
Each NFL team nominated one of its players for the award, which recognizes players around the league who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field. 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.
The winner will be revealed as part of NFL Honors, the prime-time TV show on Feb. 9 during which The Associated Press announces its individual season award winners.
A panel of former players — Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, Warrick Dunn, Leonard Wheeler, and 2014 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award recipient Larry Fitzgerald — will select eight finalists, four from each conference. The eight finalists will be listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote later this month. As in Pro Bowl voting, a team member cannot vote for a teammate.
The winner will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice.
Past winners are Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson, Drew Brees, Luke Kuechly, Frank Gore, and Fitzgerald.
The nominees:
Arizona Cardinals, Budda Baker
Atlanta Falcons, Jake Matthews
Baltimore Ravens, Lamar Jackson
Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen
Carolina Panthers, Frankie Luvu
Chicago Bears, Roquan Smith
Cincinnati Bengals, Stanley Morgan
Cleveland Browns, Nick Chubb
Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott
Denver Broncos, Pat Surtain II
Detroit Lions, Jamaal Williams
Green Bay Packers, Aaron Jones
Houston Texans, Brandin Cooks
Indianapolis Colts, DeForest Buckner
Jacksonville Jaguars, Shaquill Griffin
Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes
Las Vegas Raiders, Derek Carr
Los Angeles Chargers, Derwin James
Los Angeles Rams, Jordan Fuller
Miami Dolphins, Jason McCourty
Minnesota Vikings, Adam Thielen
New England Patriots, Matthew Slater
New Orleans Saints, Cameron Jordan
New York Giants, James Bradberry
New York Jets, C.J. Mosley
Philadelphia Eagles, Darius Slay
Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger
San Francisco 49ers, Kyle Juszczyk
Seattle Seahawks Tyler Lockett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Lavonte David
Tennessee Titans, Derrick Henry
Washington, Landon Collins
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