Suh shines for Nebraska Cornhuskers

The road to Lincoln, Nebraska doesn’t just go through cornfields and past tractors.

On occasion it goes from Cameroon and Jamaica through Oregon and into the Cornhusker state.

Such was the path of Ndamukong Suh, the 300-pound defensive tackle for Nebraska, a budding All-American candidate and a nominee for the 2009 Lott Trophy.

Suh’s father, Michael, is from Cameroon and his mother, Bernadette, from Jamaica. A three-sport star at Grant High School in Oregon, he was the top rated player in the state following his senior season and chose Nebraska over a handful of other major colleges.

And the choice has been a wise one. Suh has emerged as one of the country’s elite defensive linemen and an integral part of the Nebraska defense.

He is the pre-season Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, being chosen over such other Lott nominees as Gerald McCoy of Oklahoma, Sean Weatherspoon of Missouri and Joe Pawelek of Baylor.

The Lott Trophy, now in its sixth season, goes to the top defensive player in the country who has the biggest IMPACT on this team both on and off the field. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

An Impact performer of the first magnitude, Suh made a big decision this off-season when he decided to return to Lincoln for his senior season. Projected as a first-round pick, many experts said he was the most improved player in the country and drooled over his combination of speed and size.

To fully realize how big a decision this was, reference defensive tackle Kentwan Baker who was the 29th pick in the ’08 draft (by the 49ers) and signed a five-year, $11.5 million contract with $6 million guaranteed.

But Suh fooled a lot of people with his choice to stay another year. “I love playing for these coaches and school is important to me and my family,” he said.

Nobody was happier than Nebraska Coach Bo Pellini.

“Ndamukong ranks right near the top of the list when you evaluate his total impact on our football program,” says Pellini. “On the field, he fits the mold of an impact player. He was the centerpiece of our defensive line and not only plays with great tenacity on Saturdays, but he competes in the same way each day on the practice field.”

Says Lincoln Journal Star columnist Steven Sipple: “Suh is extremely athletic for a man his size. A key part of his job is controlling the interior line of scrimmage, yet his explosiveness emanates in ‘highlight reel’ material when he bursts into the backfield and tackles ball carriers. What’s more, his athleticism became apparent last season when he twice intercepted passes and returned them for touchdowns.”

Suh’s desire to improve is such that this past off-season he approached defensive coordinator Carl Pellini and told him he wanted to learn the entire defense because it would help him achieve a greater understanding of how he fits into the scheme.

Suh was the first Nebraska defensive lineman to lead the team in tackles in 35 years, recording 76 stops last season including 19 tackles for losses and 7.5 quarterback sacks.

The path to Lincoln may have been unconventional, but the next road he takes should be straight as a Suh pass rush – right into the NFL.

For more information on The Lott Trophy, go to www.lotttrophy.com (The Lott Trophy has raised $654,000 for charities in its first five years.)

Print Story