Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh May Have to Settle for Hall of Fame Status, While Being Vilified for How He Got There

By Alek Frost
Senior Writer

Perception is a funny thing; often the way one is perceived can be miles away from reality. But what about a guy like Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh?

Is Suh really the dirtiest player in the game, as he was voted by his peers? Words like reckless, violent and inconsiderate were thrown around, but how much of that is true?

Last season Suh was denigrated in some respects, called out fairly in others.

The issue of his reputation is a muddled composition of truths and fallacies; part of which is a result of some poor choices, but his unique physical skill set and the perception that comes with it, also played a role.

Suh is far from perfect, but a villain he is not. Sure, his playing style is reminiscent of a Tasmanian Devil and he has left just as many bruised egos on the field, as bruised quarterbacks. Since 2010, he has been flagged for more personal fouls than any other player, and he has laid down some questionable hits on the likes of Jake Delhomme and Andy Dalton. But a so-called “forearm shiver” delivered to Jay Cutler, was more like a two-handed push from behind.

Cutler crossed the line of scrimmage and therefore by NFL rules, went from being a quarterback to a runner, who then chose not to slide. Suh’s hit was perfectly legal; it just looked far worse than it actually was because of Suh’s raw physical power, coupled with the perception that Suh is a dirty player hellbent on breaking quarterbacks, Ivan Drago-style.

Related: Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh Has to Follow a Different Set of Rules

As it’s been pointed out here before at NFA, it seems as if Suh has to follow a different set of rules. Like Shaquille O’Neal or any physically different athlete, officiating their game the same way as others, is nearly impossible.

In a feature piece with GQ Magazine, Suh said that his playing style on the football field and the way he is perceived, at least on the field, is a byproduct of his God-given talents. He explained that not using that gift would be a waste, and that in a violent sport like football, you have to have a certain mentality to survive, let alone thrive in it.

“It’s not the norm, I guess, to see someone as aggressive as me being more or less very athletic. You see me running, having a big, violent hit, it’s going to look bad, but that’s the natural ability I’ve been given. Why would I let it run to the wayside and not use it?”

“Football is a violent sport. Somebody’s going to get hurt. It’s the game. Just hopefully, you’re on the good side of it. So I don’t, I really don’t get the controversy. It’s the game.”

Suh also refuted the accusation that he’s a dirty player and said that he sees a dirty player as someone who is looking to hurt someone else, something he never aims to do.

“A dirty player is somebody who ultimately is trying to hurt somebody. There’s a huge difference. There’s no gray in that. Like, you have no conscience, no nothing, no guilt. I don’t have that mean streak in me. I don’t play angry. It’s not anger.”

Much of it was earned by his own accord, some of it is simply based on perception.

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After a number of car related fiascoes and an infamous stomp, Suh was labeled audacious off the field and despicable on it. Suh faced lofty expectations entering his second season, after recording 10 sacks and earning a trip to the Pro Bowl as rookie. A year filled with distractions off the field, due primarily to his lead foot and a far less impressive second year, left much to be desired for fans, league officials and Lions’ brass. 

Suh needs to be more responsible when behind the wheel of a car, there’s no question about that. But being young and foolish, isn’t anything new. Suh isn’t the first male who came into some money, purchased a few fast cars and made some bad decisions while in them. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but we aren’t dealing with an uncommon problem here.

He needs to slow down and hopefully, he will. 

His reputation on the field, is due in part, to the same problem he has with his reputation off of it. He told Jeanne Marie Laskas of GQ, he can’t go any other speed than full throttle, he can’t turn down his intensity level and with the strength and speed he possesses, it becomes an issue. 

“Go hard every single play,” Suh says. “That’s how I’ve been taught. So now, when they see that and that correlates to big plays, things that aren’t in the norm, for them to justify it, they can’t just say, Oh, it’s a different person, it’s a different breed of player, so they say, Oh, he’s just dirty. That’s their easy scapegoat.

“It’s like, I open the throttle too much? I get in trouble for opening my throttle…just like being on a jet. Like, you know, when they’re starting a plane, you just gradually, gradually throw it into full throttle. I’m always in full throttle. But they tell me now I need to be at three-quarters of a throttle.”

“The NFL, I don’t know what their role is. I guess they have to punish. But at the same time, when I see the big Jay Cutler hit that I had in my rookie season, I supposedly hit him in the back of his head. I hit him in his nameplate. I got a fine for that, but yet you see on the NFL network or NFL.com it’s publicized, it gets played millions and millions of times. So it’s like a good thing, but it’s a bad thing.

“I don’t want to snap anybody’s neck off. I was brought up to treat others like you want to be treated.”

From Suh’s perspective, he’s stuck in a no-win situation, trying to find a happy medium between All-Pro production and being a nice, likable guy. At Suh’s position, that might not be an option and because of his physical prowess, he may have to settle for Hall of Fame status while being vilified for how he got there.

The way people perceive him on the field, isn’t necessarily in his control, but the off-the-field issues can be easily corrected. Suh is young and has plenty of time to sway the verdict in the court of public opinion. As long as he lays off the gas and stays away from the type of hits he put on Dalton and Delhomme, he can go on to have a productive and ultimately fruitful NFL career.

Follow Alek on Twitter: @Alek_Frost

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