The Other Side of Lane Johnson - Sportsmanship

The Eagles RT was the team's nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, in addition to being one of the top players at his position in the NFL

Ed Kracz/SI Fan Nation Eagles Today

PHILADELPHIA – Maybe you know this already: Lane Johnson hasn’t given up a sack in two years.

Maybe others will find out and give him the recognition that always seems slow to arrive if it ever does.

While the Eagles right tackle is a three-time Pro Bowl player and two-time Associated Press All-Pro, he was snubbed in 2021 from both. While it’s likely he went unrecognized due to a three-game stretch away from the team to tend to his mental health issues, it’s also true that there was no dip in his play before he left or when he returned.

Maybe you don’t know this: Lane Johnson was recently nominated as the team’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship.

Each team nominates one player but it is presented to the one who best demonstrates on the field the qualities of great sportsmanship including fair play, respect for opponents, and integrity in competition.

A panel of players from the NFL Legends Community will vote on the final 32.

The winner receives a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice.

The award started in 2014, with previous winners that included Larry Fitzgerald, Drew Brees, and Teddy Bridgewater. Last year’s award went to Patriots special teams player Matthew Slater.

“I’ve always had the respect for the game and players I’ve been around, the coaches.,” said Johnson on Friday. “There’s a lot that goes into this game. It takes a lot to make this business operate. I just feel like competition has always brought the best out of me, and I respect the guys I play against.”

It might be easy to take Johnson for granted since he’s been so very good for so very long.

He can sometimes get lost in the exuberant personalities of Jason Kelce and Jordan Mailata, and Johnson is low-key off the field. He’s always open to engaging media during open locker room sessions during the week and after games, yet does very little of it on the field and you never see him taking any cheap shots post-whistle.

“I never really got chirpy,” said Johnson. “There’s been guys talk (bleep) to me but, really, I never try to hurt anybody or do anything dirty. At the end of the day, we’re in the entertainment business. … I might speak if we score a touchdown, but a lot of times I don’t say (anything). I just sit back.”

Head coach Nick Sirianni is certainly appreciative of Johnson as are his teammates, earning their vote for his to be one of this year’s team captains.

“One of my favorite things is when Lane comes off after a big drive and he's got this big smile on his face and he high-fives me,” said Sirianni.

"You can just feel Lane’s presence right there, and I look forward to that. It just speaks so much to who Lane is. Not only the best tackle in this game, but also just a phenomenal leader, a phenomenal teammate, a phenomenal person.”

The Eagles’ record without Johnson is a losing one.

They are a far better team with him on the field than off, and it’s no coincidence that he was part of the 2017 Super Bowl championship team and has the Eagles expected to make another run at a Super Bowl title with a 10-1 record.

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Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.