Colts Nominate T.Y. Hilton For 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

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INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton today was named one of 32 player nominees for the sixth annual Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.


The award is given each year "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," according to a release.


From here, a panel of former NFL players — Warrick Dunn, Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler — will select eight finalists (four each in the AFC and NFC) from the 32 nominees. Those eight finalists will be listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote on Dec. 13.


The winner of the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award will then be announced during the NFL Honors show on Saturday, Feb. 1, on FOX, the night before Super Bowl LIV. He will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice, as well as a trophy that represents the important role that sportsmanship plays in the game and how NFL players that demonstrate integrity and honor on the field serve as role players at all levels,” according to the league.


Hilton, 30, is in his eighth season with the Colts. A third-round (92nd-overall) selection out of Florida International in the 2012 NFL Draft, Hilton, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, has competed in 114 games with 93 starts and has totaled 539 catches for 8,457 yards and 45 touchdowns. He currently sits in fourth place in team history in both receptions and receiving yards, while his 12 150-yard receiving games are the most in franchise history.


This season, Hilton, who has battled quad and calf injuries, has played in six games and has 32 receptions for 360 yards and five touchdowns.


Hilton is looking to become the second Colts player to be selected for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award in its six-year history; running back Frank Gore captured the award back in 2016. Quarterback Andrew Luck was one of eight finalists last year.


Others winners have included Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (2014), Oakland Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson (2015) and Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly (2017) and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (2018).


Here are all 32 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award nominees: