Former Washington Huskies star and Arizona Cardinals All-Pro Budda Baker has been nominated for the NFL’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award for the fifth time in his career. The former Husky was one of eight finalists for the award during the 2023 season and has been nominated for it for half of its existence.
The award, which was created in 2014, was named in honor of former Pittsburgh Steelers owner and NFL Hall of Famer Art Rooney. It is voted on by current players from around the NFL and is awarded to someone who demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game, and integrity in competition.
Each team nominates one player, and the 32 nominees are then whittled down to eight by the NFL Legends community, four from the AFC and four from the NFC. The finalists are listed on the ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players also vote for the Pro Bowl and other honors in December. The winner receives a $25,000 donation to the charity of their choice from the NFL Foundation.
If Baker were to win the award, he would be the second Cardinal to be bestowed with the honor after wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald won it in the awards’s inaugural year.
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