Gridiron football is one of the toughest and most physical sports as well as downright competitive. Athletes who are physically gifted in height, strength, endurance, and athleticism all have one goal in mind; to win the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season. But the path to the Super Bowl is a long and treacherous one. The physicality involved in the sport takes a toll on everybody through pain and injuries.
And in this brutal game where the defense is hell bent on crushing their opponents lest they come away with points, a certain level of sportsmanship goes a long way in making the game as beautiful as it truly is. It is this very sportsmanship quality on the field which is recognized by the league by awarding the Art Rooney Award to the player who best demonstrates the quality on the playing field.
The Art Rooney Award is one of the most recent awards to have been established but it recognizes a great quality which every sportsman should possess and strive to perfect. It is named after the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise of the NFL and was first presented in 2014.
How the Art Rooney Award winner is determined
The winner of this award is selected solely by the players in the NFL through a voting system. The on-field qualities that a player must possess for receiving this award are great sportsmanship which includes fair play, respect for opponents, and integrity in competition.
Each NFL franchise is allowed to nominate one of their players from the current season for the Art Rooney Award. The award has a panel of former NFL players who are entrusted with selecting the finalists for the award. Their job is to narrow down the list of 32 players to a final 8 which consists of 4 players each from the AFC and the NFC.
Once the eight finalists are declared, it is up to the current players across the league to cast their vote and determine the winner of that year’s Art Rooney Award. Along with the award, the winner also receives $25,000 as a donation from the NFL foundation which is given to a charity of the winner’s choice.
List of Art Rooney Award winners
| Year | Player | Position | Team |
| 2014 | Larry Fitzgerald | Wide receiver | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2015 | Charles Woodson | Safety | Oakland Raiders |
| 2016 | Frank Gore | Running back | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2017 | Luke Kuechly | Linebacker | Carolina Panthers |
| 2018 | Drew Brees | Quarterback | New Orleans Saints |
| 2019 | Adrian Peterson | Running back | Washington Redskins |
| 2020 | Teddy Bridgewater | Quarterback | Carolina Panthers |
| 2021 | Matthew Slater | Special teams | New England Patriots |
| 2022 | Calais Campbell | Defensive end | Baltimore Ravens |
FAQs
A. The Art Rooney Award is a fairly new annual award given to the player who demonstrates the best sportsmanship in the game for the year.
A. Larry Fitzgerald, the former wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals won the first Art Rooney Award in 2014.
A. Art Rooney was the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers and according to the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, he was an iconic personality of the league and his legacy deserved to be honored in such a way.
A. Calais Campbell, the defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons is the winner of the 2022 Art Rooney Award.
A. The Art Rooney Award also comes with a donation amount of $25,000 from the NFL foundation and is given directly to a charity of the player’s choice.
