10 NFL Players Being Labeled Outlaws

The NFL is a league of outlaws. 

This is a violent, cruel and nasty game in which angry men bash each other repeatedly. While players are ordered to stay within the rules, it's nearly impossible to do that on a long-term basis.

Last year, the NFL handed out more than 270 fines for dirty or unsportsmanlike play from the start of training camp through the end of the year.

Things have not gotten any better this year, as the league continues to ding players for head-to-head hits, fighting, roughing-the-passer calls and many others.

In this piece we look at 10 players who have developed a reputation for dirty play—and have the fines to prove it.

NFL fine information courtesy of Spotrac.com.

CB Cortland Finnegan, Miami Dolphins

USA TODAY Sports

Cortland Finnegan is a habitual offender when it comes to dirty play in the NFL.

He has been fined nine times since the 2008 season, and four of those fines have been for fighting. He has been dinged with financial penalties two other times for late hits.

Finnegan, 30, has been walking the edge throughout the majority of his career. He has had some outstanding moments, including back-to-back seasons where he recorded five interceptions in 2008 and 2009. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2008 as a result of his coverage and hitting skills

Finnegan does not look intimidating at 5'9" and 177 pounds, but he has no fear to his game and loves to deliver hits to bigger players. 

His coaches tend to admire him because he puts so much of himself into every play. St. Louis Rams assistant head coach Dave McGinnis was at a Chicago Bears alumni celebration two years ago, and he related a story to USA Today writer Mike Garafolo of what some of the former Bears players he had coached thought of Finnegan. 

"Hey, we like this guy. We love the way he plays," McGinnis says they told him. "And he's not even a big guy."

It's almost shocking to realize that it has been more than a year since the NFL hit Finnegan with his last fine. He was tagged for a $7,875 fine for a late hit in the Rams' 2013 season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.

The clock is ticking, and it may just be a matter of weeks before this time bomb goes off again.

LB James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers

Karl Walter/Getty Images

The king of the helmet-to-helmet hits is back.

James Harrison retired from the Cincinnati Bengals just a few weeks before the start of the season, but when his old team came calling, Harrison decided to suit up once again. Harrison is once again back in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform.

Harrison was the poster child for illegal hits to the head just a few years ago. He was fined six times between 2008 and 2010, and he was suspended for a game in 2011 as a result of one of his illegal hits.

Harrison was a brilliant player during the prime of his career. He was named to five Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro twice in his career. Harrison was a part of two Super Bowl-winning teams in his first go-round with the Steelers.

Now he's back, and he will try to help the Steelers play respectable football. He will try to avoid the hits that have cost him more than $220,000 in fines paid to the NFL.

WR Steve Smith, Baltimore Ravens

USA TODAY Sports

Steve Smith has been a warrior throughout his NFL career. He was a dominant receiver for the Carolina Panthers from 2001 through the 2013 season, and he is fulfilling a key role with the Baltimore Ravens this year.

Smith, 35, has been underestimated and underappreciated throughout the majority of his career. Scouts and coaches looked at him as a 5'9", 185-pound player in a league of much bigger men and figured he would be swallowed up.

But Smith was never overmatched, and his competitive fire continues to burn hot. Smith will never consider the possibility of not finishing on top. He has been matched up against bigger defensive backs throughout the majority of his career, and he has never backed down or admitted defeat.

Smith walks around with a chip on his shoulder, and he is not going to allow anyone to insult him or take a cheap shot. He has been known to raise his fists in anger at both teammates and opponents. 

Smith got into a fight with Ravens teammate Lardarius Webb during an offseason practice. Over the years, he has fought with Aqib Talib, Richard Sherman, Anthony Bright and Ken Lucas. Bright and Lucas were teammates. Smith has been fined twice in his career by the NFL.

Smith is a full-effort, highly effective receiver despite his lack of size. However, his hot temper is part of his makeup, and it shows no signs of abating.

SS Donte Whitner, Cleveland Browns

USA TODAY Sports

Donte Whitner is a one of the hardest hitters in the NFL, and he has been unrepentant when he has hurt players with his aggressive style.

Whitner signed with the Cleveland Browns last winter, but he made his reputation as a nasty, dominating defensive back with the San Francisco 49ers. He knocked out New Orleans running back Pierre Thomas with a brutal blow in 2012, and he did not express an iota of regret.

Whitner told Kevin Kernan of the New York Post that his job is simply to hit running backs and wide receivers, and that those who get hit are going to have to suffer the impact. "We play physical,’’ Whitner said. “Whenever you play physical, people get hurt.’’ 

Now that he's with the Browns, Whitner is trying to bring his physical style to his new team. He's still not concerned if opponents get injured. He wants to send a message to his opponents, and that's likely to remain the case as long as Whitner has a career in the NFL.

Whitner has managed to avoid many of the fines that the other players have been hit with. He has only been nailed with one fine to this point in his career.

FS Dashon Goldson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

USA TODAY Sports

Running backs and receivers had better take care when they venture into the Tampa Bay secondary.

While the Bucs are off to a halting start in 2014, receivers are taking a big risk when they meet up with Tampa Bay safety Dashon Goldson.

The former 49er is particularly vicious on the field. He has been fined seven times since 2010, and he has also been suspended for a game. Three of the fines were for helmet-to-helmet hits. 

Goldson was with the 49ers when they went to the Super Bowl at the conclusion of the 2012 season. When he met the media prior to the game, he was only concerned with making plays on the field and not the safety of his opponents. 

"Do your best and then hope you don't get a letter (with a fine) in your locker on Wednesday," Goldson told The Associated Press.

LB Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers

USA TODAY Sports

Clay Matthews is one of the most feared defensive players in the NFL. He has to be the focus of every opponent who plays the Packers because his hard-hitting style can change the tone of any game.

Matthews made the Pro Bowl every season from 2009 through 2012, and injuries are likely the only reason he didn't make it last year as he missed five games.

His ability to fight off the blocker, hunt down the quarterback and pound him to the ground is what has made him such a strong competitor. Matthews has had double-digit sack totals three times in his career.

It has also caused him to be fined four times in his career for his play that has ventured outside the rules. Matthews was fined three times in 2013 for a late hit, a roughing-the-passer call and a helmet-to-helmet hit.

S LaRon Landry, Indianapolis Colts

USA TODAY Sports

When the Colts decided they needed to become a more physical team prior to the 2013 season, they signed safety LaRon Landry as a free agent.

Landry often resembles a missile on the field. He flies to the football and launches himself at the running back or receiver. He had a 100-tackle season in 2012, and he followed that up with 87 tackles in 12 games last year.

If Landry crosses the line, he's not going to feel bad about it. He has been fined five times in his career, including twice for the brutal way he has treated opposing quarterbacks.  

When Landry was with the New York Jets in 2012, he passed Rex Ryan's nastiness test, which is not easy to do. 

"I always want to have as many guys on the team that you wouldn't want your kid playing against," Ryan told Mike Sielski of The Wall Street Journal. "You talk about him being a bada--, there's no question he certainly is that."

DT Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions

USA TODAY Sports

Does Ndamukong Suh play on the edge for the Detroit Lions? There's little doubt.

Has he crossed the line as many times as any player in recent memory? Certainly.

It's hard to say whether Suh, 27, is known more for his remarkable athleticism and dominating play or for his actions that have gotten him into so much trouble with the league's authorities.

On the positive side, Suh was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2010 and is a three-time Pro Bowler. He had double-digit sacks as a rookie and is constantly harassing and pressuring quarterbacks even when he doesn't get the sack.

However, Suh has been reckless on the field far too many times. He has been fined on seven occasions and suspended for two games as a result of his on-the-field transgressions. Four of the fines have been the result of roughing-the-passer calls, while he has also been punished for kicking and a low block.

Suh's backers are hoping that he is starting to see the light during his fifth year in the league. Maturity and wisdom are supposed to be byproducts of the aging process, but Suh was fined three times last year. And he will clearly have plenty of opportunities to get hit with more penalties this year unless he changes his ways.

DT Nick Fairley, Detroit Lions

USA TODAY Sports

There must be something about playing for the Detroit Lions that leads to nasty, over-the-line play.

While he hasn't gotten the same kind of notoriety as Suh, Fairley has not been a model of decorum on the Detroit defensive line. He has been a productive player who causes problems for opposing quarterbacks.

Fairley had 6.0 sacks last year, and he also batted down one pass. He forced two fumbles and recovered two more. 

However, Fairley has been fined five times by the NFL, including three times last season. He has received two fines for late hits, two for roughing the quarterback and one for a horse-collar tackle. 

Fairley is off to an excellent start in 2014. He forced an Aaron Rodgers fumble early in Week 3 that teammate Don Carey scooped up and brought to the end zone. Fairley is trying to play at an even keel this season

"It means a lot,” Fairley told Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “I said this even from the get-go of training camp. My goal is to help this team win. By doing that, I’ve got to be consistent. And I’m feeling like I’m starting to get that way to be consistent and making plays on the field and helping my team win.”

If he can avoid the penalties that trigger league-imposed fines, he just may get there.

DT Haloti Ngata, Baltimore Ravens

USA TODAY Sports

Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata has been one of the toughest run defenders in the NFL. He started to earn his reputation as a rookie during the 2006 season as one of the strongest men in the league, and that makes it almost impossible for opposing offensive linemen to move him while blocking.

Ngata has been named to the Pro Bowl five times, and he is a two-time, first-team All-Pro. However, that has not prevented him from getting into trouble with dirty play. The NFL has fined Ngata four times for crossing the line with his on-field actions, including once during the 2014 preseason.

Ngata was fined $8,268 for kicking Shawn Lauvao of the Washington Redskins in a late-August preseason game. Ngata tried to excuse his actions, as he told Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com that Lauvao had hit him late during the game, and his kick was a matter of retaliation.

Ngata should have learned by now that players can't retaliate for an opponent's dirty play with another illegal action.

The fact Ngata does not know that means it's quite likely to happen again.

Ngata is a great player, but he's also often a dirty one.