San Francisco 49ers left tackle Joe Staley has been selected as one of eight finalists for the fourth annual Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award for the third-consecutive season. The award was created in 2014 in honor of the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Rooney, Sr. It 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.
A panel comprised of Warrick Dunn, Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler selected the eight finalists from the 32 nominees, one from each NFL team. The eight finalists will be listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote on Friday, December 15. 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 winner selected by the vote of the players will be announced during the nationally televised NFL Honors show on Saturday, February 3 on NBC, the night before Super Bowl LII. For winning the award, Staley would 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 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.
2017 ART ROONEY SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD FINALISTS
Player
NFL Team
Conf.
Pos.
College
NFL Exp.
Nominations
Finalists
Vernon Davis
Washington Redskins
NFC
TE
Maryland
12
1
1
Antonio Gates
Los Angeles Chargers
AFC
TE
Kent State
15
2
1
Luke Kuechly
Carolina Panthers
NFC
LB
Boston College
6
2
2
Josh McCown
New York Jets
AFC
QB
Sam Houston State
15
2
1
Haloti Ngata
Detroit Lions
NFC
DT
Oregon
12
1
1
Alex Smith
Kansas City Chiefs
AFC
QB
Utah
13
2
2
Joe Staley
San Francisco 49ers
NFC
T
Central Michigan
11
3
3
Joe Thomas
Cleveland Browns
AFC
T
Wisconsin
11
2
1
