Houston Texans receiver Brandin Cooks has been named a finalist for the 2021 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
The award is presented annually to an NFL player who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition.
Cooks is one of four players in league history to have at least three seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards and seven touchdowns before the age of 25. Cooks is also the first player in the league to have three straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons on three different teams.
The former 2014 New Orleans Saints first-round pick have generated 563 catches, 7,825 receiving yards, and 45 receiving touchdowns through 117 career games, and has also played in two Super Bowls (LII and LIII).
Texans coach David Culley said in a statement that Cooks is “a guy that our players trust” due to the type of person he is, not just the type of player.
Assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Lovie Smith said Cooks is “an outstanding competitor, outstanding player.”
“You want a veteran player to show the young players how to be a pro,” Smith said. “He’s a receiver that can do it all. Seen a lot of good ones and I knew a lot about him before I got here and to see him every day, I know exactly what he can do and that’s what he’s done every game.”
A panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community selected Cooks and the other seven finalists. All 32 teams presented nominees.
The panel consists of Warrick Dunn, Curtis Martin, Leonard Wheeler, and Larry Fitzgerald. The eight finalists were listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category.
The other finalists include quarterback Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), safety Jason McCourty (Miami Dolphins) and receiver Matthew Slater (New England Patriots), linebacker Lavonte David (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), defensive end Cameron Jordan (New Orleans Saints), fullback Kyle Juszczyk (San Francisco 49ers) and receiver Adam Thielen (Minnesota Vikings).
The award was created in 2014 to honor the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers Art Rooney Sr. The winner of the award is determined by a vote of current players. Each team’s players submitted a consensus vote of their choice for the winner from the eight finalists. Teams couldn’t vote for its own player, just like in Pro Bowl voting.