DeMarcus Ware, Marshal Yanda among Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award finalists

NEW YORK -- Eight veteran players, including frequent All-Pros DeMarcus Ware, Marshal Yanda and Julius Peppers, are finalists for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

Other finalists announced by the NFL on Monday are Greg Olsen, Joe Staley, Darren Sproles, Brian Cushing and Frank Gore. The award recognizes players who best demonstrate the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition. The award was created in 2014 in honor of the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member.

The winner will be announced Feb. 4, the night before Super Bowl LI, at the NFL Honors show in which The Associated Press hands out its individual player awards, including league MVP.

Each NFL team nominated one player for the award. A panel of former players -- Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, Warrick Dunn, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler -- whittled down the nominees to eight.

From the eight finalists, each team's players submit a consensus vote of their choice. They cannot vote for a teammate.