Todd Bowles, Larry Fitzgerald win individual awards for Arizona Cardinals
Feb 1, 2015, 1:47 AM | Updated: 6:49 am
Along with Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, former Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and longtime Cards wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald took home some hardware Saturday.
Bowles, who accepted a job as head coach of the New York Jets on Jan. 13, was named AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year, while Fitzgerald was honored with the inaugural Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
The awards were announced during the 4th Annual NFL Honors show Saturday night.
Bowles helped the Cardinals overcome key losses on defense, guiding the Cards to an 11-5 regular-season record — its best single-season mark since the team relocated to Arizona in 1988 — and the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2009.
In December, Fitzgerald was named a finalist for the sportsmanship award along with Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis, Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, Denver Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Ware, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson and New England Patriots wide receiver and special-teams player Matthew Slater.
The award will be presented each year to an NFL player who demonstrates on the field qualities of great sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for opponents and integrity in competition.
