HOUSTON – Recognized for how he treats his opponents and approaches the game of football, Texans veteran defensive end Jerry Hughes was named a finalist for the NFL’s annual Art Rooney sportsmanship award.
The award is given to an NFL player who demonstrates sportsmanship and integrity in competition.
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The other finalists are Calais Campbell (Baltimore Ravens), Nick Chubb (Cleveland Browns), Dalvin Cook (Minnesota Vikings), Lavonte David (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Aaron Jones (Green Bay Packers) and Kyle Juszczyk (San Francisco 49ers).
A former Indianapolis Colts first-round draft pick, Hughes leads the Texans with eight sacks. In his 13th season, the former Colts and Buffalo Bills defensive lineman joined the Texans this offseason.
The Sugar Land native has 66 career sacks, 91 tackles for losses and 137 quarterback hits.
“It says a lot when you’re Jerry Hughes, and you will be one of the defensive captains when you’ve only been in the building less than a year, to have that kind of impact on your teammates,” Texans coach Lovie Smith said. “Jerry’s a veteran rusher and a veteran player that’s done it the right way all his career.”
The winner is determined by a vote of current NFL players. From the eight finalists, each team’s players will submit a consensus vote of their choice for the winner. As in Pro Bowl voting, a team cannot vote for its own player.
The winner will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice.
“There’s nothing that he does that surprises me,” Texans defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire said. “It’s the consistency. He’s the same person all the time. I always say to people, how you do one thing is how you do everything. That’s how he is.”
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to KPRC 2 and click2houston.com