11. Jon Runyan, Free Agent OT

NFL's Top 11 Toughest Players

We are compelled to add Runyan, who is currently a free agent rehabbing from offseason knee surgery after a strong 13-year career — including the last nine protecting Donovan McNabb's backside in Philly. Andy Reid's first big free-agent signing back in 2000, Runyan immediately instilled atty-tude into then-rebuilding Philly and became even more notorious around the league for shoving guys around in pile-ups, big hits after the whistle and basically being a guy who wouldn't let you push him or his teammates around ... all in a tidy little 6-foot-7, 330-pound package of mean. -- Adrian Hasenmayer (AP Photo/Miles Kennedy)

More from this Slideshow

0 of 0

11. Jon Runyan, ... We are compelled to add Runyan, who is currently a free agent rehabbing from offseason knee surgery after a strong 13-year career — including the last nine protecting Donovan McNabb's backside in Philly. Andy Reid's first big free-agent signing back in 2000, Runyan immediately instilled atty-tude into then-rebuilding Philly and became even more notorious around the league for shoving guys around in pile-ups, big hits after the whistle and basically being a guy who wouldn't let you push him or his teammates around ... all in a tidy little 6-foot-7, 330-pound package of mean. -- Adrian Hasenmayer (AP Photo/Miles Kennedy)
10. Aqib Talib, ... Talib is a newcomer to this list after a recent infamous minicamp brawl in Tampa turned ugly when the Bucs' second-year corner snapped and began using his helmet as a weapon, swinging it wildly ... at his teammates. In non-contact minicamp. In May. Although he later expressed remorse publicly, I would not suggest provoking Mr. Talib. -- Adrian Hasenmayer (AP Photo/John Raoux)
9. Richie Incogn... In just four years in the league, the Rams starting guard has already forged a rep as one of the dirtiest offensive linemen in football. Across the league, everyone knows that anything goes against Incognito — which is definitely a trait you do not want to face in any fight. -- Adrian Hasenmayer (AP Photo/James A. Finley)
8. James Harriso... Harrison's another fiery linebacker you'd think twice about taking head-on in any fashion. Making him more imposing is his aura of almost looking for a battle, and even team insiders have publicly called him a "contrarian" ... maybe he just likes the action, but the former undrafted free agent turned Pro Bowl star is certainly never afraid of contact or altercation. -- Adrian Hasenmayer (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
7. Hines Ward, S... Hines Ward is no diva receiver. Instead he's known as the guy in the league you'd better keep your head up against or you'll be knocked into next week on a ferocious block. Just ask Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers, who had his jaw broken and season ended on a borderline dirty blindside blow last season. Ward is one of the rare offensive players in football who forces even defensive players to hear footsteps at times. -- Adrian Hasenmayer (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
6. Jared Allen, ... See Allen in February's Pro Bowl, an annual exhibition when most players play with the intensity of a walk-through at practice. Not Allen, whose intensity and enthusiasm are unmatched — similar to that of one-time NFL sackmaster Kevin Greene. The point: Would you want to be in a backyard brawl against a guy with a never-say-die attitude and who never quits? Allen would scratch and claw his way through hell and back not to lose a fight. -- Adrian Hasenmayer (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)
5. Harvey Dahl, ... Casual fans may not know the name, but every defensive lineman in the NFL does as Dahl's reputation precedes him. CBSSports.com recently called him "the meanest player in the NFL." Known for playing to the whistle and quite often beyond it, Dahl was fined three times last season for overzealous on-field activities and recently needed eight stitches to close a gash incurred when he kept fighting in a minicamp brawl — even after his helmet had flown off his head. -- Adrian Hasenmayer (AP Photo/Phil Coale)
4. Ray Lewis, Ra... Baltimore's legendary linebacker is already imposing just for the passionate way he speaks, let alone how he plays. Lewis has always been one of the most respected, feared and hardest-hitting players in football who seemingly would crush you merely with his stare alone. -- Adrian Hasenmayer (AP Photo/Rob Carr
3. Steve Smith, ... He may be vertically-challenged, but Smith is one of the toughest pound-for-pound guys in the NFL. And would you want to fight a guy who has thrown down with not one, but two teammates in his career? Last summer then-Carolina teammate Ken Lucas was a bloody mess after a Smith punch gave his fellow Panther a broken nose in a training camp dustup, which resulted in a suspension for the wired wideout. -- Adrian Hasenmayer (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
2. Albert Haynes... Pictured with the Titans, Washington's new star free agent has come a long way — considering he was once suspended for stepping on the head of an already-prone opponent. Would you want to take on a 6-foot-6, 320-pound dude who has already shown he's not beyond performing Gallagher's famous watermelon routine with your melon? -- Adrian Hasenmayer (AP Photo/John Russell)
1. Joey Porter, ... Here's a guy whose loud barking is most definitely not worse than his bite. Besides reviving his Pro Bowl skills in Miami last season, Porter is one of the league's most intimidating presences, both on and off the field. Just ask Levi Jones after one of Jay Glazer's most notorious video scoops captured Porter and his pals fighting the ex-Bengals offensive lineman in a Las Vegas casino. -- Adrian Hasenmayer (AP Photo/Jeffrey M. Boan)