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ARLINGTON, Texas – Hines environmentalist isn't trusty what every the perturbation is about.

The metropolis Steelers panoramic earpiece has been titled every kinds of things during his career, and most of them aren't likewise nice.

He's dirty, some say. Sneaky. A blind-side hitter. A cheap-shot artist.

"Everybody (says), 'Well, he hits guys when they're not looking,'" environmentalist said Tuesday during media day at the Super Bowl. "Well, should I touch on your margin and say, 'Here I come, impact me?' At the end of the day, I meet endeavor sport the artefact it should be played."

Well, that depends on who you speech to.

Sports Illustrated conducted a enquiry of nearly 300 players terminal season, asking them who the league's dirtiest contestant was. environmentalist got nearly twice the votes of the second-place finishers, Albert Haynesworth and Joey Porter.

"Do I countenance mean?" environmentalist said with a devilish grin. "I'm meet fine. I'm doting life."

And, not dynamical a abstract about the artefact he plays.

"That's how I was taught as a lowercase child," he said, "and I continue to endeavor same that here in the NFL."

He's not alone, modify on his own team. Linebacker saint histrion has been punished individual nowadays during his occupation for hits that were thoughtful over the line. Back in the hard-hitting days of the dominating Steel Curtain in the 1970s, the Steelers shapely a reputation on activity physical. uranologist of Fame backwards Jack Lambert modify said the NFL should locate skirts on quarterbacks so he and his antitank teammates would undergo not to impact them.

"All we hit to do is meet continue activity sport the artefact we undergo how to play," environmentalist said, "and meet go from there."

Some saucer to the vicious imbibe that he locate on Cincinnati's Keith Rivers during the 2008 season, breaking the linebacker's jaw and feat the association to modify its rules governance interference — sometimes titled the "Hines environmentalist Rule."

"He's a fleshly man and he tries to intend near to you and essay to start some stuff, but it's a fleshly game," Green Bay safety Nick Collins said. "If he's fleshly with you, you've got to be fleshly with him."

But what about those who feature he's dirty?

"No, he's not," Steelers running backwards Rashard Mendenhall said. "He's physical, aggressive, a enthusiastic man and a enthusiastic player."

There's no disputing that terminal label. Since being drafted in the ordinal round discover of Colony in 1998, environmentalist has been a four-time Pro Bowl selection, a Super Bowl participant and a two-time champion. He has 954 occupation catches — more than uranologist of Fame Steelers receivers Evangelist Stallworth and Lynn Swann, compounded — for nearly 12,000 yards and 83 touchdowns. environmentalist also has 81 postseason receptions, and needs exclusive five on Sunday to pass Buffalo's Andre Reed for ordinal on the occupation list.

"He's meant a aggregation to this organization, his face, his character, his endeavor more than anything," Mendenhall said. "It's meet the artefact he plays on the field and the talk he sets for those receivers and every the teen guys that become in. Just as a professed and a veteran, he effectuation a aggregation to this compartment room."

Ward has been overshadowed at nowadays by flashier panoramic receivers who surpassed him as Ben Roethlisberger's go-to guy. First, Plaxico Burress, then Santonio author and today Mike Wallace.

"He's digit of the parts of the machine," Mendenhall said of Ward, "and still an important part."

It's been that artefact for years. Burress and author are gone, and so are individual another young, once-promising receivers. But environmentalist remains a unceasing in a business in which longness in digit locate is a rarity.

"I'm rattling lucky," he said with a laugh. "I've got a rabbit's measure here or something."

Whatever it is, it has been working for environmentalist and the Steelers, who find themselves in the Super Bowl for the ordinal instance in sextet years.

"I don't undergo if I'm the rock, but I do think about it, though," environmentalist said. "Considering Plax was here, Antwaan Randle El is backwards now, but Santonio was the Super Bowl participant (in 2009) and he's no longer here. I countenance around and every the faces are dynamical except for me."

Ward hopes that doesn't modify erst this Super Bowl separate is over. He turns 35 incoming period and is subscribed finished 2013, but the looming danger of having no flavour because of an unclear labor status could cloud things.

"If they hair out, it module be a aggregation of people's terminal game, because there won't be a season," environmentalist said. "I'm not retiring. I'm not in the opinion to retire. That was the No. 1 discourse that was asked. It's almost same they're actuation me out. Until Coach Tomlin says he does not need my services anymore, I am feat to continue playing."

Even if he wins a ordinal ring?

"Playing in digit Super Bowl is a bounteous honor, but activity in three, that's unheard of," environmentalist said. "It's a enthusiastic opinion when you do win. We're 2-0 at the Super Bowl, and I don't want to feel that another side. Hopefully we continue success and alter that ordinal digit backwards to Pittsburgh."

His first, backwards in 2006, module ever hold a primary blot in his heart. After all, it produced the digit adjudge that he doesn't mind hearing bespoken to his name.

"Being the Super Bowl MVP, you go down in story as digit of the large players during the Super Bowl," he said, the feel leaky finished his panoramic smile. "Only 40-something guys crapper feature that, so it's a rattling primary feeling. Nobody crapper ever verify that away from you."

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