C.J. Mosley nominated for NFL’s sportsmanship award

C.J. Mosley nominated for NFL’s sportsmanship award

New York Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley is among the 32 nominees for the NFL’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

Each NFL team nominated one player for the annual honor, and the league released the list of candidates on Wednesday.

The award is presented annually to the 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 32 nominees will be reduced to eight finalists – four from each conference – by four players from the NFL Legends Community. The eight finalists selected by Warrick Dunn, Larry Fitzgerald, Curtis Martin and Leonard Wheeler will appear on the Pro Bowl ballot distributed to NFL players next month, and the players’ vote will determine the winner of the award.

The winner will be announced during the annual NFL Honors program in February. The winner will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation for the charity of his choice.

The award has been presented annually since 2014.

Mosley was a two-time All-State linebacker for Theodore High School. In 2009, he earned the Class 6A Lineman of the Year Award and recognition as a Parade All-American.

At Alabama, Mosley was a consensus All-American in 2012 and a unanimous All-American in 2013, when he earned the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker. Mosley played for two national-championship teams with the Crimson Tide.

Mosley entered the NFL as the 17th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. A five-time Pro Bowl selection, Mosley ranks seventh in the NFL with 101 tackles this season.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.