There is little doubt that you have to be tough to play in the National Football League. Former Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow once claimed he was a "soldier" and maybe he wasn't lying. The current Tampa Bay Buccaneer discussed his staph infection with the print edition of ESPN The Magazine in which he explained the procedure he underwent on his groin area so he didn't have to miss action:

"They had to drain it. They had a scalpel. They cut into it. I had to clean it every day with a Q-Tip, for two and a half weeks. It was the most painful thing I've ever been through."

"I was real disappointed when no one came to my defense. They don't want to get suspended or have conduct detrimental to the team, but you've gotta be a man sometimes."

Of course, the ironic thing about the story is that Winslow ended up with a ticket out of town in large part because of this event. The Browns then head coach and general manager failed to visit or contact Winslow in the hospital and it erupted into a controversial suspension which was later rescinded. One thing is for certain, and that is that Winslow is just about as tough as they come.