Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa nominated for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

The NFL announced the 32 players nominated 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., founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The award honors players who demonstrate 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 vote on the eight finalists who will appear on the Pro Bowl ballot

The full list of nominated players can be found here.

Did a Miami Dolphins player win the award?

Ten players have won the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, but no one on the Dolphins has ever received the award. Fitzgerald received the inaugural award in 2014 and Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner received 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 winner during that time the Indianapolis Colts received the 2016 Art Rooney Award.

When will the winner be announced?

The recipient of the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award is announced during the NFL Honors ceremony, usually held in February. For the 2023 season, the event took place in February 2024. Each team will cast a consensus vote for one of the eight semifinalists, but a team cannot vote for its player.

The honoree will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of their choice.