Pittsburgh Steelers Safety Ryan Clark Fined $15K, Understands League Is Setting New High Standards

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark has become the latest victim in a slew of NFL player fines in 2011. The 32-year-old was fined $15,000 by the league for a personal foul against the New England Patriots in last week’s Steelers victory.

Clark 's fine came for an out of bounds hit on New England tight end Rob Gronkowski in the third quarter. Gronkowski had already been knocked out of bounds by a teammate when Clark hit him hard with his shoulder.

Some players who have been fined heavily by the NFL this year for personal fouls have been critical of the league’s decision, however Clark told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he was thankful for the league's concern.

"They're really setting high standards for fair play," said Clark of the NFL. "They're also setting high standards for keeping players healthy, safe. And that's something we as players wanted implemented."

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