The Indianapolis Colts nominated defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for the NFL’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship award.
Each NFL team nominates one player from their organization to be up for this award. Over the next month, the list of nominees will be trimmed from 32 down to eight finalists. The players will then vote for the winner.
“Sportsmanship is at the very the core of the game, the foundation of our values that are shared across all levels of the sport,” said Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations. “These Rooney Sportsmanship Award nominees demonstrate to the world how the game is played with respect and integrity at the highest level of competition.”
As the Colts’ team site notes, this is the fourth consecutive year that Buckner has been nominated. The last member of the Colts to win the award was Frank Gore in 2016.
Buckner’s return to the field after being on injured reserve has provided the Colts’ defensive front with a massive boost. In addition to Buckner filling his own column on the stat sheet, his presence helps create opportunities for his teammates through one-on-ones and advantageous matchups.
Buckner has totaled 23 pressures on the season, according to PFF, with five sacks and 33 tackles, and ranks ninth among his position group in run-stop rate.
