Hines Ward's the NFL's Dirtiest Player?

It's accurate to say that there aren't a whole lot of players around the league who like Hines Ward. When he's not going over the middle to catch passes, he's always looking to lay a hit on an unsuspecting defender. Heck, the NFL even passed a new rule after Ward broke linebacker Keith Rivers' jaw last year.

So it's no surprise to learn that Ward has been voted as the NFL's dirtiest player in a survey by Sports Illustrated, topping former teammate Joey Porter. With Rodney Harrison now retired, Ward was the obvious choice, which in some way is a badge of honor for the Steelers wideout. After all, how many receivers are tough enough and physical enough to be considered dirty?

It's worth noting that most of what Ward does to annoy defensive backs is completely legal. If he's downfield as a blocker, he's always looking to lay a crushing block on someone -- whether they see him coming or not. But players don't like it when they're running along minding their own business and find themselves looking out of their ear hole from the ground a second later.

"It's hard to sit there and tell everybody it's a violent sport but tone it down a little. When I go across the middle, those guys aren't going to tackle me softly and lay me down to the ground. That's not football. I find it ironic that now you see a receiver delivering blows, and it's an issue. But I haven't changed. I've been doing it this way for 11 years," Ward said.

He likes to block defensive ends with crackback blocks. He's happy to lower a shoulder after a catch as well. And he always does it with the same smile that's guaranteed to infuriate the guys tackling him. He's the kind of guy you love if he's on your team and hate if he's not.

But what's even more impressive is that Ward is a target for every linebacker and defensive back in the league who would like to get even for what Ward's done to them. But despite that, he's only missed seven games in his 12 year career.

Porter and Albert Haynesworth tied for second, Bengals safety Roy Williams, Titans center Kevin Mawae, Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan, Rams guard Richie Incognito, Falcons guard Harvey Dahl, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Vikings defensive end Jared Allen filled out the Top 10.