NASHVILLE – The Titans have nominated guard Peter Skoronski for the 12th annual Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
A first-round pick of the Titans in the 2023 NFL Draft, Skoronski has started 42 games for the team over the past three seasons, including starts in all 11 games this season.
During that time, Skoronski has built a strong reputation for his professional approach, and his work ethic.
He was informed of the news during a team meeting on Wednesday morning, when he was congratulated by his teammates.
"It was a surprise," Skoronski said. "They put it up on the (video) board. It's an honor, pretty cool. I try to play the game the right way."
The award, created in 2014 and named after the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Rooney Sr., recognizes players around the league who best demonstrate the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents and integrity in competition.
Over the past three seasons, Skoronski has averaged just 0.4 percent penalties per offensive snap (10 total accepted penalties on 2,494 offensive snaps). Skoronski has never been flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty.
"I love the way he shows up every day to work. He's a true pro in every form," interim coach Mike McCoy said of Skoronski. "The mentality he approaches the game with and the respect he has for his teammates, opponents and the game itself is what we want our players to embody. He wants to be great and he leads by example."
A panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community, will select eight finalists (four in the AFC and four in the NFC) from the 32 nominees. The eight finalists will be listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award category when players vote in December.
The winner is determined by a vote of current NFL players and will be announced as part of the NFL Honors program the Thursday before Super Bowl LX.
"Sportsmanship is at the very the core of the game, the foundation of our values that are shared across all levels of the sport," said Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations. "These Rooney Sportsmanship Award nominees demonstrate to the world how the game is played with respect and integrity at the highest level of competition."
