GREEN BAY – Running back Aaron Jones is the Packers' nominee for the 2021 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
The award, named after the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Rooney Sr., recognizes players who best demonstrate the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition
Jones also was selected earlier this week as the Packers' nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. The fifth-year running back has been a steady presence in the Green Bay community since being drafted in the fifth round out of the University of Texas-El Paso in 2017.
A panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community – Warrick Dunn, 2014 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award recipient Larry Fitzgerald, Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin and Leonard Wheeler – will select eight finalists (four in the AFC and four in the NFC) from the 32 nominees. The eight finalists will be listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote later this month.
The winner of the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award is determined by a vote of current NFL players. From the eight finalists, each team's players will submit a consensus vote of their choice for the winner. As in Pro Bowl voting, a team cannot vote for its own player.
The winner will be announced as part of NFL Honors. He will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice.
Jones' close friend and former Packers teammate, Jamaal Williams, is the nominee for the Detroit Lions.
