James Harrison's Meanest Player Award Comes as Little Surprise

James Harrison is mean and everyone knows it.

The Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker has been one of the best defensive players in the league since 2007.

He's also been one of the most heavily-fined players.

There may not be a player in the league who has given back more money to the NFL than Harrison in recent years. It got so bad at one point that Harrison even threatened to retire because he wasn't sure if he could adjust to the new NFL rules.

But he was overreacting and has resumed hitting people on a regular basis with the same ferocity he always has.

His fellow players have taken notice, too. Sports Illustrated took a poll of the "meanest" players in the league and he was voted No. 1. 

The meaning of "meanest" is up for interpretation considering we weren't given the exact question that was asked, but the answer came in loud and clear.

Harrison was the runaway winner in a competition that featured two division rivals at the top of the voting. 

Ray Lewis, even in his 16th season, was the clear-cut No. 2.

Harrison has recorded 45 sacks over the past four seasons along with 378 tackles. He was also the most heavily-fined player in the league in 2010.

Roger Goodell didn't have a vote, but we'd assume he'd have gone along with the consensus considering his relationship with the Steelers' linebacker.

SI also had an interesting fact about a poll on Facebook. Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions, the third-place finisher among the players vote, was voted the meanest with 40 percent.

Suh was followed by Lewis (31 percent) and Harrison (23 percent).

It is hardly a surprise that the top three players are represented in both polls. Although it isn't in the same order, the three meanest players in the NFL are acknowledged by both the fans they entertain and the players they hit.

For the ones that step on the field with each other, it is Harrison who carries the reputation of being the downright meanest.

He's currently out with fractured orbital socket, and there is a good chance he comes back to the field even meaner than before.