Ranked: The dirtiest players to ever win the Super Bowl

Some players like to impose their will on the other team with their skill and abilities, others like to lay a marker down with physicality. Of the latter group, some players earned a reputation for taking it too far. Today, we’re going to take a look at the dirtiest players to ever win the Super Bowl.

Polamalu’s dirtiest hit probably came in college when he laid out an opponent who had called for a fair catch during a punt return. In the NFL, he wasn’t consistently dirty, but he was willing to lay the wood consistently. Still, in 2010, he was voted the ninth-dirtiest player in the league, per a Sports Illustrated poll.

Sample wrote an autobiography upon his retirement, which isn’t unusual. What was abnormal, was the title, “Confessions of a Dirty Ballplayer.” If you are willing to call a book about yourself that, you’ve probably earned your reputation as a dirty player. Sample played for the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, a game nicknamed, “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”

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Hines Ward is a Pittsburgh Steelers great and a two-time Super Bowl champ. His performances as a receiver were only matched by his willingness to block for his teammates. Unfortunately, he was best known for the now-illegal crackback block that knocked out many an unsuspecting opponent.

Aqib Talib was a good cornerback and a big part of the Denver Broncos’ stifling defense in Super Bowl 50. He was also known for his long-term rivalry with Michael Crabtree, with the pair regularly scrapping on the field. He was never afraid of confronting opponents and was willing to get physical. To be honest, it was always fun to watch.

Per ClutchPoints, Harrison was voted the NFL’s dirtiest player three different times during his career, which is almost impressive in and of itself. Harrison struck fear into opponent’s hearts with his huge hits over the middle of the field, most of which would probably be a flag in today’s NFL.

Jack Tatum is yet another safety on our list infamous for their huge hits. Tatum’s worst moment came after he paralyzed Darryl Stingley in a preseason game with a brutal hit, a move he reportedly never apologized for. The New York Times described him as “a symbol of a violent game,” which feels about right.

We have had to use Joe Greene’s nickname in this gallery as we feel it really sums him up as a player. In the 1970s NFL, to earn the nickname “Mean Joe,” you have to be a pretty tough man. Most of his toughness was well within the rules, but he was also known for spitting on opponents, which we have less respect for.

Pound for pound, James Harrison may be the strongest player in NFL history, although Larry Allen would probably make a good case too. Harrison used all of that strength to strike fear into his opponents, repeatedly injuring opposition players if they dared to come near him. He was also very resistant to rule changes that attempted to make the game safer…

Ndamukong Suh is as softly spoken as they come, which belies the aggression he played with during his playing days. Suh had numerous dirty instances during his career, including stomping on opponents head, or in some instances, their groin. A great player, but one that was willing to push the line. No one could argue that he deserved his Super Bowl win, however.

Romanowski won four Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos and was undeniably a very good player. He was also renowned for being perhaps the dirtiest player ever. Whether it was late hits, spitting, or punching his teammates, Romanowski was pushing a limit somewhere.

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