Dallas Cowboys' Greg Hardy -- Suspended By NFL for Domestic Violence

Dallas Cowboys' defensive end Greg Hardy just got hit with a tough penalty -- he's benched for 10 games without pay, after the NFL determined he brutalized his ex-girlfriend.

A 2-month NFL investigation determined Hardy attacked Nicole Holder 4 times. They concluded in May 2014, he:

-- used physical force that landed her in a bathtub

-- used physical force that landed her on a futon that was covered with 4 semi-automatic rifles

-- grabbed her by the neck, leaving visible marks

-- shoved her against a wall

Hardy, who was playing for the Carolina Panthers at the time, had been convicted of assault, appealed and had an automatic right to a new trial. But the second time around Holder refused to cooperate and the charges were dropped.

The Panthers deactivated Hardy in September, shortly after the Ray Rice graphic video surfaced, and Dallas picked him up last month.