Veteran receiver Marques Colston is the New Orleans Saints' nominee for the NFL Sportsmanship Award, a new honor which will be determined by a vote of current NFL players, the league announced Tuesday, Dec. 9. A panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community will select from the 32 nominees eight finalists (four in the AFC; four in the NFC). The panel is comprised of Warrick Dunn, Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler.
The eight finalists will be listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award when the players vote Dec. 19. From the eight finalists, each team's players will submit a consensus vote of its choice for the winner. As in Pro Bowl voting, a team cannot vote for its own player.
According to the league's release, the award will be presented 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.
The winner selected by the vote of the players will be announced during the "Fourth Annual NFL Honors" show on Saturday, Jan. 31 on NBC, the night before Super Bowl XLIX. He will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice.
