The Jacksonville Jaguars have nominated 10th-year middle linebacker Paul Posluszny for the 2016 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, the club announced today.
The Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, which was founded in 2014, recognizes players around the league who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field.
Posluszny is in his third season as the defensive captain for the Jaguars and is regarded around the league as a competitor who consistently displays and plays with a high level of sportsmanship. In his 10th season in the NFL, the 2013 Pro Bowler has appeared in 122 career games, yet has never been called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
The winner of the NFL Sportsmanship Award is determined by a vote of current NFL players.
After each team nominates one player, a panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community will select eight finalists (four in the AFC and four in the NFC) from the 32 nominees. The panel is comprised of former NFL players Warrick Dunn, Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler.
The eight finalists will be listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote on Friday, December 16. 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 4 on FOX, the night before Super Bowl LI. He will 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 that 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.
The award is presented each year 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 award was created in 2014 in honor of the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Rooney, Sr.
