Field Gulls
The Seattle Seahawks have selected starting left tackle Charles Cross as their nominee for the 2025 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. This is Cross’s first nomination for the award in his four-year NFL career.
Starting in 2014, the NFL has given the Art Rooney Award to a player that has demonstrated the values of sportsmanship in their play, with all 32 teams nominating a player for the award. The award was named in honor of the late Art Rooney Sr., founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“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 (via NFL.com). “These Rooney Sportsmanship Award nominees demonstrate to the world how the game is played with respect and integrity at the highest level of competition.”
Cross has been involved in community outreach in his hometown of Laurel, Miss., helping to launch the Charles Cross Scholarship Fund for seniors at Laurel High School in 2024. Since last year, the scholarship has annually awarded $10,000 to a graduating senior.
“My mom kind of inspired me to do that,” Cross said (via Seahawks.com). “Just being able to give back to the community, it’s a big deal for me. Just to be able to help the community, help the next generation and give them some help.”
In addition, the 25-year-old offensive tackle has also helped the American Liver Foundation, promoting the foundation through the league’s My Cause My Cleats initiative this season. Cross was inspired to help the cause after the passing of his late father, who died of liver complications earlier this year.
“My dad passed away earlier this year due to liver issues,” Cross said. “It was something close to my heart that I wanted to represent and be a part of.”
The nominees will be voted on by a group of panelists, including former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who won the inaugural Rooney Award in 2014. The panelists will select eight finalists out of the group of 32, and these finalists will be included on the Pro Bowl ballot as part of the NFL Sportsmanship Award category during the players’ voting period in December.
Each team will submit a consensus vote among the given finalists as their chosen winner; however, teams may not vote for their own players. From there, the winner will be announced as part of the NFL Honors, earning a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation for a charity of their choice.
Cross would be the second Seahawk to win the award, following Bobby Wagner, the 2023 recipient.
