Eagles star Darius Slay nominated for another distinguished honor

The hits just keep on coming for this Philadelphia Eagles team. It may be the bye week, but if you listen closely, you can hear them working at the NovaCare Complex. Week 14 for the Birds means they’re enjoying the closest thing the NFL has to paid time off during the regular season, Still, even while enjoying their mini-vacation, it’s been a big week for two of their best players/team leaders, Jason Kelce and Darius Slay.

The former received a nomination for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The latter became one of the men nominated for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. The annual honor dates back to 2014, and it’s named after the late (and great) founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Each year, all 32 teams nominate one of their players. The criteria? That man must exemplify outstanding sportsmanship both on the field and off.

It’s been an amazing season for Darius Slay already, and we aren’t done yet.

Whenever you bring these NFL stars up, it’s easy to find yourself getting lost in a conversation about their stats, their highlight-reel moments, and possible individual accolades that the player has earned while simultaneously assisting in spearheading his team towards success.

Slay has proven all season that he’s among the NFL’s best at his position. His current and former teammates on both sides of the ball love him. The opposition fears him. Some quarterbacks don’t even attempt to throw the ball in his direction, but his influence expands past what everyone sees on game days.

Eagles coaches call Slay a football junkie. Friends and opponents call him Big Play, but on the night of the NFL Honors, we may be adding another moniker to his ever-growing list, winner of the next Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. The recipient will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation that he can award to any charity of his choice.