Tagovailoa and thirty-one players were nominated for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award on Monday.
The NFL announced the 32 nominated players for the 11th annual Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa representing the Miami Dolphins. Established in 2014, the award honors Art Rooney Sr., the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The award honors players who exemplify sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for opponents, and competitive integrity.
A panel of former players, including Warrick Dunn, Larry Fitzgerald, Curtis Martin, and Leonard Wheeler, will select four finalists from each conference. In December, players will vote on the eight finalists, who will appear on the Pro Bowl ballot
You can find the full list of nominated players here.
Has a Miami Dolphins player won the award?
Ten players have won the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award but nobody has received the honor while on the Dolphins. Fitzgerald earned the inaugural award in 2014 and Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner earned the award last season with the Seattle Seahawks.
Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell won it in 2022. Teddy Bridgewater, Miami’s backup in 2022, won the award with the Carolina Panthers in 2020. Running back Frank Gore, who also spent time with the Dolphins, was the 2016 Art Rooney Award winner while with the Indianapolis Colts.
When is the winner announced?
The Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award recipient will be announced during the NFL Honors ceremony, typically held in February. For the 2023 season, the event took place in February 2024, Every team will submit a consensus vote for one of the eight semifinalists but a team can’t vote for its player.
The award winner receives a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of their choice.