 Ndamukong Suh has come a long way since he played football at Portland's Grant high school, and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. The former college All-American defensive lineman was a first round draft pick of the Detroit Lions in the 2010 draft and signed a five year contract worth an estimated $68 million with $40 million guaranteed. A Pro Bowl selection his first year Suh has been praised and vilified in the NFL for his rough play which has caused him to be fined three times by the league in his short career. He was fined $20,000 for a hit on Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton, $15,000 for a hit on Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler, and $7,500 for a hit on Cleveland quarterback Jake Delhomme in a preseason game. Most recently Suh has been roundly criticized by some for what they call taunting injured Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan after he was injured last Sunday in a 23 to 16 Detroit loss. Suh denied the accusations saying, "To me it's karma for all the stuff they've done in the past. There offensive linemen hurt their own quarterback." Suh's teammate defensive lineman Cliff Avrill was also accused of taunting the injured Ryan. Suh's worst offense came in a week twelve 27 to 15 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving day in which he pushed Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith's head into the ground then stomped his arm. Suh was ejected from the game, and was later suspended by the league for two games.
Suh says he plays rough, and like basketball big man Shaquille O'Neal he sometimes gets blamed unfairly. NFL Hall of Famers Deion Sanders and Michael Irving have both said that Suh is simply an "old school" rough football player who is not a dirty player. |
