The eight-man list of finalists for the 2021 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award includes one New England Patriot and two former Patriots.
Longtime Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater is among the finalists for the award, as are Miami Dolphins cornerback Jason McCourty and Houston Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks, both of whom spent time in New England.
The Art Rooney Award, first presented in 2014, recognizes “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.” This is Slater’s third consecutive year as a finalist and his fourth overall, but he has yet to win the award.