For the second year in a row, former Georgia Bulldogs and current Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward has been named by his peers the dirtiest player in the NFL.

Atlanta Falcons guard Harvey Dahl was in the top ten of the list.

The annual Sports Illustrated poll, conducted in September and released this week, questioned 296 players in the National Football League.

Ward, the former Georgia Bulldog who played quarterback, running back and receiver at UGA, is in his 12th year in the NFL. He played his high school ball at Forest Park High.

In an interview with SI, Ward said "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."

The remainder of the top ten in this year's balloting are: Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter, 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.