Buccaneers Lavonte David Nominated for NFL Sportsmanship Award

Long thought of as one of the best and most humble of Tampa Bay Buccaneers' players, the linebacker is up for league-wide recognition as well.

Linebacker Lavonte David is going to go down as one of the best Tampa Bay Buccaneers players to ever dawn the uniform. 

But many believe his recognition nationally and around the league is too low, in part because he doesn't focus on making the sexy plays. 

Instead, he makes the right play, even if it means he doesn't always come away with the glory. 

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And he's a professional. To the letter.

Something the league has noticed, and David is up for the 2022 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award because of it.

“These Rooney Sportsmanship Award nominees exemplify the fiercest competition combined with the excellence of sportsmanship," said Troy Vincent, EVP of Football Operations of the NFL via a press release. “It reflects the very values of respect, resilience, and fairness that inspire both teammates and opponents to be the best in the world.”

The award was created in 2014 and is named after Art Rooney Sr., the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

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From the list of 32 nominees, eight finalists will be selected by a panel of former players including the inaugural award recipient, receiver Larry Fitgerald, Hall of Famers running back Curtis Martin and safety Leonard Wheeler, and former Buccaneers running back Warrick Dunn.

Those finalists will then be added to Pro Bowl ballots and be voted on, among the active players vying for all-star event invitations.

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