Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater Wins Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award
Carolina Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was named the 2020 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award winner on Sunday. This award, which was created by the NFL in 2014, is presented every year to the player believed to display outstanding sportsmanship on the field.
“Art Rooney is an iconic figure in NFL history,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell when the award was first introduced. “It is appropriate that we honor his legacy in this way and recognize NFL players for one of the important values that Mr. Rooney represented so well.”
During the inception of the award, Steelers President Art Rooney II expressed his thoughts on the award being named after his grandfather.
“It is gratifying that sportsmanship is the category,” said Rooney. “It’s appropriate. I like to think of my grandfather as someone who truly was a good sport, somebody who cared about the respect and the integrity of the game. The fact it’s being voted on by the players, well, the recipient can feel good about it because it’s voted on by his peers.”
Every season each team nominates one player. Eight finalists are then selected by members of the NFL Legends Community. Cameron Heyward was chosen a finalist after being Pittsburgh’s representative for the award.
Bridgewater will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to the charity of his choice.
Below is a list of every Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award winner:
2020 – Teddy Bridgewater
2019 – Adrian Peterson
2018 – Drew Brees
2017 – Luke Kuechly
2016 – Frank Gore
2015 – Charles Woodson
2014 – Larry Fitzgerald
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