One tough "Ducky"

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

Good article on Suh

 

NE Statepaper

 

One Tough 'Ducky'

Commentary: Suh buys in, straps it on, and becomes a star

by Samuel McKewon

 

November 11, 2008

 

He’s arguably the most dominant Nebraska defensive lineman in nearly a decade, and here’s junior Ndamukong Suh, getting stuck with a goofy nickname, courtesy of third-string quarterback Zac Lee.

 

“Ducky,” the team calls him. After that dinosaur in the “Land Before Time” cartoon. Apparently Suh and the green reptile resemble one another. If you’re wondering how in the world Lee dreamed up that comparison, well, use your imagination. Obviously Lee did.

 

When Suh enters the game on for goal line offense, it’s called “the Ducky formation.” When Suh celebrated after his two-yard touchdown reception against Kansas, he performed the “Ducky dance.”

 

“Suh’s gonna kill me,” starting quarterback Joe Ganz says, relaying the story behind the name.

 

Only if Ganz were on the opposing team. Suh might lead the Huskers with 60 tackles 12.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks – almost an unthinkable trio for an interior defensive lineman - but off the field, the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder speaks softly and smiles easily. He hangs around for interview request – every interview request – tackling each question with sincerity.

 

Last Monday, when most of the Husker players had walked to the locker room during the scout team scrimmage, it was Suh who returned from the bowels of Memorial Stadium to talk about the Oklahoma game. He was one of two starters, along with Armando Murillo, to do that.

 

So he’s a good guy. A smart guy. An introspective guy. At times he dials his voice down to almost a whisper as he explains, in depth, why he bought into Bo and Carl Pelini’s new defense.

 

“I was on the sideline in the spring and watching and seeing how the defense was coming together in a mental aspect,” Suh said Tuesday. “That’s when I really thought, ‘I’m going to be in love with this defense.’ Because it’s not predicated to one individual person, one individual group, whether that be the secondary, linebackers or defensive line. It’s a collective thing. Everybody has their opportunities to make their plays and take their shots. Collective.”

 

This is the thoughtful, friendly Suh. There’s a different side, as there must be with every good football player. A violent, physical, relentless side. The side that’s picked up a couple personal fouls this season. The side that got caught in the middle of Chase Daniel’s ridiculous spitting accusations. The side that stoned KU’s center so hard on one play that the Jayhawk shivered and stood as if the edge of a giant coin was being dragged up his spine. The side that would, in the heat of moment, plant a facemask in some guy’s earhole at the very mention of name “Ducky.”

 

Suh doesn’t crawl into that persona until he boards the team bus on gameday. On the bus, he doesn’t talk to his teammates. They don’t talk to him.

 

“No cell phones, no nothing,” he said. “It’s all focus. Listen to your headphones. If you wanna look at your playbook, look at your playbook. It’s total focus. No joking around.”

 

And the switch stays on, he said, “until 00:00 of the fourth quarter.”

 

Then, he’s that guy who wore a giant grin and a goofily perched stocking cap to the KU post-game press conference. He’s the guy who expresses surprise at his own play this year – “Sixty tackles? That’s linebacker numbers to me.” - even though he’s had the physical tools from the day he stepped on campus.

 

What he lacked was the kind of coaching in fundamentals he’s now getting with Carl Pelini. Each day, the NU defensive line works on technique and footwork. If the line botches a play in the practice script, they’ll return to it at the end.

 

“Day in, day out, getting underneath the cage and hitting our sled - that continually imprints it on your brain,” Suh said. “It makes it second nature.”

 

Suh could always blow up a lineman or two and make a dramatic tackle against the run; what he’s added is a second rush move to go along with his bull technique, and a knack for separating from his blocker and pursuing a runner down the field. Those skills, coupled with a natural on-field nastiness make the kid a NFL prospect right now.

 

Will he test the waters this year, the last in which rookies can expect super-lucrative contracts?

 

“Obviously (the NFL) is one of my goals,” Suh said. “I’ve thought about it. Am I thinking about leaving? No. I have another year to play. I’m going to take my options and play another year.”

 

Would there be an exception to that plan? Sure –if Suh’s draft stock skyrockets to a position where the money would be hard to ignore, it might change. He’s healthy and his body is NFL-ready. And there’s no guarantee that, with Zach Potter and Ty Steinkuhler gone, Suh would have a better year in 2009 than he has in 2008.

 

Bo Pelini’s been here before with Glenn Dorsey at LSU. For his part, Pelini was pragmatic when asked about it Tuesday. It’s a premium position, he said, and most of the great teams in NFL have a interior stud eating up blockers and ball carriers. But NFL guys might be a little wary since Suh’s only produced big numbers for one season. Plus, he said, scouts tend to focus on seniors at that position more than underclassmen.

 

Dorsey, for example, was a projected first-round pick when he was graded after his junior year. After his senior year, he was a top-five pick. That’s a wad of prestige and money Dorsey gained by returning to LSU.

 

“We’ll do what’s best,” is Pelini’s summary. For Suh, he meant.

 

As for Nebraska? Enjoy Suh now, Husker fans. A “Ducky” like this doesn’t come around often.

[admo]

Good stuff. Suh & Steinkuhler have really done a solid job, consistently all season as the interior lineman. They both are setting great examples to the young guys. If the underclassmen or first time players want to see what it takes to be a tough football player that competes every single down, look no further than these fellas.

[huskersok]

We like Ducky!

 

[Army Husker]

We like Ducky!

 

 

Guess I can see the resemblance...

 

[bbhusker]

I'm very happy for Suh and the D-line as a whole. It's awsome to finally see some of the kids playing up to their potential. Hopefully Suh stays around another year. Suh will be a Top 25 draft pick barring injury when he is finished here.

[HuskerTrucker]

Suh is really coming around with good coaching. He will be a monster next year, expect the numbers to go up up up.

[huskersok]

We like Ducky!

 

 

Guess I can see the resemblance...

 

 

Better??

[billdozer15]

Suh is good, however i dont know that he is the best we have had in a decade. Carriker, Vandenbosch, Kelsay come to mind and i am sure there are a couple more that were pretty good. I am excited to have him back next year maybe he can get his name up there with those three with a solid senior year.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Good article and I love how he's going to put the NFL on hold to finish business here and get his degree. That degree is more important IMO than any NFL contract. He's only going to get better as long as he stays healthy.

[redout22]

Ha i am liking that duck formation and that ducky dance

[tattooedhusker]

Rule #1, don't f#*k with the duck

[General Blackshirt]

Rule #1, don't f#*k with the duck