Earlier this month, fullback Kyle Juszczyk was announced as the San Francisco 49ers' nominee for the eighth annual Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. The NFL has reported that the 49ers fullback is among the eight finalists for the award.
A panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community selected the eight finalists from the 32 NFL club nominees. The panel is comprised of Warrick Dunn, Larry Fitzgerald, Curtis Martin, and Leonard Wheeler.
Juszczyk has the opportunity to become the first 49ers player to ever win the award. Then-Carolina Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, now with the Denver Broncos, was last year's recipient.
The award, created after the 2014 season, is presented annually 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. The league will announce the winner at the NFL Honors presentation before the Super Bowl, and he will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice.
The following are the seven other finalists for the award.
- QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
- WR Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans
- LB Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- DB Jason McCourty, Miami Dolphins
- DE Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints
- WR Matthew Slater, New England Patriots
- WR Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
The winner of the NFL Sportsmanship Award is determined by a vote of current NFL players. From the eight finalists, each team's players submitted a consensus vote of their choice for the winner. As in Pro Bowl voting, a team cannot vote for its own player.
"I've had the honor of competing with many of the nominees on the list," said Fitzgerald via a statement issued by NFL Communications. "More importantly, I've had the blessing of knowing and building relationships with several of them off the field. The legacy of Mr. Rooney lives on through these men. They represent teamwork, competitiveness, hard work, optimism, and integrity. Congratulations to each of the nominees for this year's Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award."
