Kansas City Chiefs LB Nick Bolton has been selected to represent the franchise as their nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award in 2022. This is the first time that Bolton has been nominated for the award, following three consecutive seasons where QB Patrick Mahomes was the team’s nominee.
The Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award was first conceived in 2014 to honor the late Pittsburgh Steelers founder and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Art Rooney Sr. This award is given annually to the NFL player who best exemplifies qualities of on-field sportsmanship, fair play, respect for the game and peers, and integrity in competition.
“These Rooney Sportsmanship Award nominees exemplify the fiercest competition combined with the excellence of sportsmanship,” said EVP of Football Operations of the NFL, Troy Vincent, via press release. “It reflects the very values of respect, resilience, and fairness that inspire both teammates and opponents to be the best in the world.”
The NFL announced the nominees for all 32 teams for the eighth annual award on Tuesday. You can view the full list of nominees below:
32 NFL players have been nominated for the 2022 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. pic.twitter.com/2Y9zBuOrb2
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 22, 2022
How is the winner of the 2022 award determined? Eight finalists, four from each conference, will be selected by a panel of former NFL players. The panel includes Warrick Dunn, Larry Fitzgerald, Leonard Wheeler and Curtis Martin. From those eight finalists, players from each NFL team will submit a consensus vote for a winner. Those teams are not allowed to vote for their own teammates, but only a player from another club. Whoever wins the award will also receive a donation of $25,000 from the NFL Foundation to the charity of their choice.
The winner will be announced during the NFL Honors ceremony ahead of Super Bowl LVII. The previous winners include: Patriots WR/STer Matthew Slater (2021), Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater (2020) Washington RB Adrian Peterson (2019), Saints QB Drew Brees (2018), Panthers LB Luke Kuechly (2017), Colts RB Frank Gore (2016), Raiders CB Charles Woodson (2015) and Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald (2014).
