Ben Roethlisberger and the NFL's 5 Toughest Players

Whether it's through overcoming an injury or playing consecutive games at a tough position—or a combination of the two—playing tough can really motivate a team.

There are plenty of tough players throughout the NFL, as we've seen in the past and present—and surely more are to come.

Here are five of the toughest players right now.

Note: No position is represented twice for a broader perspective.

Jeff Backus: OT, Detroit Lions

This is one guy who doesn't get a lot of attention for a couple of reasons:

1. He's an offensive lineman and they simply don't get enough credit—but they should.

2. He's been playing for the Detroit Lions since 2001.

However, there's no denying that Jeff Backus is one of the NFL's toughest players. He's started in 172 straight games.

Not to mention he's been through numerous losing and disappointing seasons, but he always puts on the pads and goes to work. He's 34 years old and still going strong.

If there's one offensive lineman to build a team around, Jeff Backus is a great choice.

Ben Roethlisberger: QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger's returning to the field despite a major limp reveals the quarterback's deep mental toughness.

Big Ben has dealt with a lot of injuries over the years (concussions, back, shoulder), but he's never let any immense kind of pain prevent him from playing. Now, obviously being a 6'5", 245-pound QB (or however enormous he is) does help when taking hit after hit.

That being said, according to Peter King of Sports Illustrated, Ben suffered an ankle injury last night. And those are a lot different because you still have to put a lot of weight on the ankle, and the injury significantly restricts your mobility (something that's played a major role throughout Ben's career).

Nonetheless, there's no denying that going back on the field after such an injury is tough, because we've seen players sit with far less significant injuries before.

As for the rest of this season, it'll be interesting to see how this affects Roethlisberger in the coming weeks.

Brian Dawkins: Safety, Denver Broncos

First off, the man is 38 years old and still wrecking every offensive player that gets in his path. His personal slogan should be, "Brian Dawkins: Menacing NFL Offenses Since 1996," because Dawkins has made that kind of an impact every year.

What's also interesting is that he didn't have a 100-plus tackle season until 2009 with the Broncos (116, to be exact). In any event, he's been one of the most feared defensive players since his days as a Clemson Tiger.

As for playing tough, well, as you can see by the club wrapped around his right hand and by the fact that he's played in 222 games through sixteen NFL seasons, Dawkins defines toughness.

Prior to the beginning of the 2009 season, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post, B-Dawk had his fractured right hand surgically repaired. However, he didn't miss one game that year.

It's safe to say that if there's one safety to compare with the great Steve Atwater, Brian Dawkins fits the bill.

Maurice Jones Drew: RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

In an article by Tania Ganguli of Jacksonville.com, Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew talked about his knee surgery this past offseason:

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"I can still carry the load regardless of what surgery I had or whatnot," Jones-Drew said.

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Ganguli added about MJD from 2010:

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Jones-Drew tore his meniscus before the 2010 season and played the season's first 14 games with the injury, carrying the ball 299 times and rushing for 1,324 yards.

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And with RB being widely regarded as the most difficult position physically, for MJD to play that well with literally no help around him is beyond impressive.

It's one thing to play tough, but to be as productive as he has this season—and virtually every other year as well—warrants some significant consideration.

Like Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew is a solid piece to build a team around.

Ray Lewis: LB, Baltimore Ravens

No list of the NFL's toughest players is complete without Ray Lewis.

The man, at least among current NFL players, is the absolute definition of toughness. Much like Brian Dawkins in Denver, Lewis is defying his age and playing at the top of his game.

Now yes, he's missed the past few games this season, but it's not like he hasn't missed a significant amount of time before. Lewis has averaged 122 tackles per season and is still arguably the NFL's best LB.

A big reason why Lewis is such a tough player is his fierce and competitive nature. To play with that kind of passion every time he steps on the field is remarkable, regardless of the opponent.

Additionally, it's not like the LB position is a cakewalk, either. If RBs get hit at full speed the most, linebackers get hit almost the same amount, as they're the ones making the majority of the tackles.

And to consistently make plays in pro football, you must play fast and fierce. Ray Lewis has done that and will continue to do so until the day he hangs it up.

Follow John Rozum on Twitter @ Sportswriter27