Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee nominated for NFL Man of the Year Award

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee has been nominated for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

Each team nominated a player for the award, which is presented by Nationwide.

Lee leads the team in tackles with 134, including 10 tackles for loss.

"Sean’s a special guy. He’s a special guy in so many ways. It starts with who he is as a person. He’s just someone who has such great leadership qualities on our football team. Guys look to him, not only for the practical part of communication but just the example that he sets each and every day," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "He does that in our building. He does that out in the community. He’s a special guy to have on your team. He’s certainly one of the cornerstone players in this organization."

Former TCU great and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is also on the list.

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes a player for his excellence on and off the field and is among the league's most prestigious awards.

Three of the nominees will be selected as finalists for the award, named for Hall of Fame Chicago Bears running back, Walter Payton, who died in 1999. Finalists will be announced in January 2017.

The winner will be announced in Houston at NFL Honors, a two-hour prime-time awards special to air nationally on February 4, the night before Super Bowl LI, from 7-9 p.m. on FOX.

This story was originally published December 7, 2016 at 9:44 AM.