By Jim Gehman, Player Engagement Insider
Washington Redskins’ two-time Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis is concluding his 12th season in the NFL as a first-time finalist for the 2017 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
Davis joins Los Angeles Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, New York Jets quarterback Josh McCown, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas, Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, Detroit Lions defensive lineman Haloti Ngata and San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley as finalists.
Each team nominated one of its players for the award, which was created three years ago in honor of Rooney, the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It recognizes those who best demonstrate the qualities of on-field sportsmanship and respect for the game.
“Playing in the league means that I’m to play this game,” Davis said. “I have to play this game fairly. I have to play it the way it’s supposed to be played. Playing it with respect for everyone from your teammates down to your opponent. And not just the opponents, but the officials and everyone else associated with the game. You want to treat them the way you would like to be treated. Just treat them with respect.
“It’s pretty cool (to be one of eight finalists for the award). It means that my teammates believe in me. Not only do they believe in me, they think highly of you as a person who exemplifies what it takes to be that standup guy when it comes to playing the game of football.”
The winner of the award will be determined by a vote of the league’s players and be announced during the NFL Honors show on February 3, the night before Super Bowl LII. He will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice.
“[If I win, the money] will probably go to the Vernon Davis Foundation for the Arts,” Davis said. “I created the foundation for art education and art appreciation. I’ll fulfill my mission by giving art scholarships to dedicated youths and grants to area art programs. Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve taken it with me. It started in San Francisco and I’ve done a lot of work in Denver as well as Washington. D.C.”
Originally selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, he was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2015, and signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Redskins in 2016.
“I feel like the key to my longevity is my integrity and my character, being who I am,” Davis said. “If you walk in the building and you’re just a complete jerk, you’re someone who doesn’t treat people fairly and treat them appropriately, then you’re not going to make it. Everyone would love to have the opportunity to play this game and be a part of an organization that makes up the NFL.”
Having nearly quadrupled the average length of a player’s career in the NFL, what makes Davis most proud of what he’s accomplished?
“Since I was in high school, I’ve always set goals for myself and my dream was to someday become a professional athlete and play in the NFL,” Davis said. “So, to have team goals and individual goals and achieve those goals, it just means a lot to me, it means a lot to the family. And I appreciate it so much because I know at the end of the day, these goals that I set for myself; they’re not just for me. They’re for my kids; they’re for the young guys who’s looking for that leader, that hero, that role model. It’s for them. I’m just the example and the testimony for them.
“When it’s all said and done, I’ve done everything that I’ve wanted to do from a team perspective as well as individually. Then they can look at me and I share my message and I can calculate a relationship and let them know that they can do it too.”