For the second-straight year, San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk has been selected as a finalist for the 2021 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
The honor is granted each year to a player who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents and integrity in competition.
Created in 2014, the award commemorates the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Rooney Sr.
Juszczyk was selected as a finalist for the award from a panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community that includes Warrick Dunn, Larry Fitzgerald, Curtis Martin and Leonard Wheeler. The distinguished panel selected the San Francisco fullback as one of the four finalists from each conference out of 32 NFL club nominees who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field.
"It shows people's respect for him and how he goes about his business," offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said. "It speaks to how professional he is and what a great football player he is by doing things the right way."
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. The winner will be announced as part of NFL Honors and will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice.
Below is a list of the 2021 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award finalists:
| Nominee | Team | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| QB Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills | AFC |
| WR Brandin Cooks | Houston Texans | AFC |
| LB Lavonte David | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NFC |
| DB Jason McCourty | Miami Dolphins | AFC |
| DE Cameron Jordan | New Orleans Saints | NFC |
| FB Kyle Juszczyk | San Francisco 49ers | NFC |
| WR Matthew Slater | New England Patriots | AFC |
| WR Adam Thielen | Minnesota Vikings | NFC |
