Three Alabama Players Nominated for NFL Sportsmanship Award
Three remarkable athletes with ties to Alabama have received nominations for the NFL’s prestigious Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award for the 2025 season. This award recognizes exceptional qualities of sportsmanship, including fair play, respect, and integrity in competition, and is presented annually by the NFL.
NFL Nominees from Alabama
Each NFL team selected one nominee for the award, which was announced recently. The players representing Alabama are:
- Derrick Brown – Defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers, hailing from Auburn
- Nico Collins – Wide receiver for the Houston Texans, graduate of Clay-Chalkville High School
- Marcus Jones – Cornerback for the New England Patriots, former student at Enterprise High School and Troy University
The Importance of Sportsmanship
Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, emphasized the role of sportsmanship in football. He stated, “Sportsmanship is at the very core of the game, the foundation of our values that are shared across all levels of the sport.”
Award Selection Process
The list of 32 nominees will be narrowed down to eight finalists, featuring four from each conference. Finalists will be determined by votes from notable players in the NFL Legends Community, including:
- Warrick Dunn
- Larry Fitzgerald
- Curtis Martin
- Leonard Wheeler
From the eight finalists, players from each NFL team will cast their votes for the award recipient, with each team barred from voting for its own nominee. The winner will be revealed during the annual NFL Honors program in February.
Charitable Contribution
The recipient of the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award will not only gain recognition but will also receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation for a charity of their choice. This year marks the twelfth presentation of this esteemed award.
