The Los Angeles Rams have announced their nominee for the NFL’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, selecting safety John Johnson. He’s one of 32 nominees across the league, with each team selecting one player to be up for the award.
Each year, the honor goes to the player who demonstrates sportsmanship on the field, showing respect for opponents each and every week. Johnson is certainly deserving of the award, playing a clean style of football at safety, rarely drawing penalty flags on defense.
The award was created in 2014 to honor the late Art Rooney, who founded the Steelers. Adrian Peterson won the award last year, with Drew Brees winning it one year prior. Luke Kuechly and Charles Woodson are the only defensive players to win it in its six-year history.
The list of 32 nominees will be trimmed down to eight finalists. Players will vote for this award on their Pro Bowl ballots, which must be submitted by Dec. 18. The winner will be announced at the NFL Honors show in February, with the player also receiving a $25,000 donation to the charity of his choice.
.@iamjohnthethird is our 2020 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award Nominee! 🙌
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 3, 2020