Former Bulldog Hines Ward called dirtiest NFL player

By Larry Hartstein

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The NFL's best blocking wide receiver has gotten another title from his peers: league's dirtiest player.

Hines Ward, the Steelers' all-time leading receiver and a former Georgia Bulldog, received the dubious distinction in a Sports Illustrated poll of 296 players released this week.  Ward drew 11.6 percent of the vote, followed by Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (6.0), Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter (6.0) and Bengals safety Roy Williams (5.1).

Falcons guard Harvey Dahl came in eighth with 3.7 percent of the vote.

Ward was fined $15,000 in October 2008 for hits in consecutive games that didn't draw flags. Later that month, he broke the jaw of Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers with a block Rivers never saw coming. The hit prompted the NFL to outlaw high, blind-side hits, with the so-called Hines Ward Rule carrying a 15-yard flag.

Ward told Sports Illustrated last year he knows only one way to play.

"It's hard to sit there and tell everybody it's a violent sport but tone it down a little," he said. "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."