Detroit Lions’ quarterback Matthew Stafford is the team’s nomination for the 2019 NFL’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
Each of the NFL’s 32 franchises nominates a player who exemplifies “outstanding sportsmanship on the field” and previous Lions’ nominees include Don Muhlbach, Haloti Ngata, Glover Quin, and Calvin Johnson.
Created in 2014, this Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award has recognized five winners over that time — Larry Fitzgerald, Charles Woodson, Frank Gore, Luke Kuechly and Drew Brees.
According to a press release from the NFL:
The winner of the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award is determined by a vote of current NFL players. 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 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 NFL will host an NFL Honors show on Saturday, February 1 — the evening before Super Bowl LIV — where the winner will be announced. This ceremony will be televised on FOX.
This year’s nominees are listed below:
