GREEN BAY – Packers safety Morgan Burnett is the team's nominee for the 2017 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
Now in his eighth year in Green Bay, Burnett is one of 32 nominees across the league for the award, which was created in 2014 in honor of the Hall of Famer and late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Art Rooney, Sr.
The award recognizes players who best demonstrate the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition.
Burnett has four seasons of 100-plus tackles in his career with the Packers, just missing a fifth last year (92), when he missed one game. He also has three seasons with multiple interceptions, and he has been voted a playoff captain twice by his teammates. Burnett, playing a hybrid inside linebacker role this season, has missed a handful of games in 2017 due to hamstring and groin injuries.
The winner will be determined by a vote of current NFL players. A panel of former players form the NFL Legends Community – Warrick Dunn, Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler – will select eight finalists, four from each conference.
Those finalists will be on the Pro Bowl ballot for the sportsmanship award when players vote on Friday, Dec. 15. The winner will be announced at the NFL Honors show on Saturday, Feb. 3, the night before Super Bowl LII.
Full Nominee List
Arizona Cardinals - CB Patrick Peterson
Atlanta Falcons - S Ricardo Allen
Baltimore Ravens - QB Joe Flacco
Buffalo Bills - LB Lorenzo Alexander
Carolina Panthers - LB Luke Kuechly
Chicago Bears - B Benny Cunningham
Cincinnati Bengals - DE Carlos Dunlap
Cleveland Browns - T Joe Thomas
Dallas Cowboys - C Travis Frederick
Denver Broncos - LB Von Miller
Detroit Lions - DT Haloti Ngata
Green Bay Packers - S Morgan Burnett
Houston Texans - P Shane Lechler
Indianapolis Colts - WR T.Y. Hilton
Jacksonville Jaguars - LB Paul Posluszny
Kansas City Chiefs - QB Alex Smith
Los Angeles Chargers - TE Antonio Gates
Los Angeles Rams - G Rodger Saffold
Miami Dolphins - G Jermon Bushrod
Minnesota Vikings - DE Brian Robison
New England Patriots - WR Matthew Slater
New Orleans Saints - QB Drew Brees
New York Giants - T Justin Pugh
New York Jets - QB Josh McCown
Oakland Raiders - QB Derek Carr
Philadelphia Eagles - TE Brent Celek
Pittsburgh Steelers - DE Cameron Heyward
San Francisco 49ers - T Joe Staley
Seattle Seahawks - DE Cliff Avril
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - DT Gerald McCoy
Tennessee Titans - QB Marcus Mariota
Washington Redskins - TE Vernon Davis
