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The "Suuuuuuuuuuh" Thread

Nexus

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Nexus

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A couple of minutes before Ndamukong Suh's jersey was retired at halftime of Friday's Nebraska-Colorado football game, at least 50 fans in the front row of South Stadium leaned in close to take photos of Suh standing in the end zone.

 

Most fans settled for taking photos, but one yelled out to Suh for a high-five. The man leaned over the railing and Suh made a small jump to oblige.

 

Yes, even though Suh now plays for the NFL's Detroit Lions, Husker fans still want a piece of the 2009 Heisman Trophy finalist and one of Nebraska's all-time great defensive players. A few fans were lucky enough to get a photo taken with Suh or shake his hand, but most of the fans paid their respects like they always have: "Suuuuuuuuuuuh."

 

The Lions played Thursday, so Suh was able to come to Lincoln and became the 17th Husker to have his jersey retired. His name and No. 93 are now displayed on North Stadium.

 

Nebraska no longer permanently retires numbers, with only Tom Novak and Bob Brown having that distinction. Still, it appears no Husker player wanted to be the next No. 93, with no one listed on the roster this season wearing that number.

 

A few minutes before kickoff, Suh came out of the tunnel and headed for the Nebraska sideline with former Husker and Lions teammate Dominic Raiola. Suh had a Detroit Tigers baseball cap pulled low, but many fans quickly realized it was him. He watched part of the game from near the Husker bench.

 

Suh was honored at midfield, with eight former Huskers who have had their jersey retired standing around him. Highlights of Suh's career were shown on the HuskerVision screens.

 

Tom Osborne presented Suh with his jersey, then Suh spoke.

 

"Wow, this is without a doubt a true honor, and being able to be on that wall with all these great players that have come before me is truly a blessing and I can't thank the fans enough," Suh told the crowd. "This has been a great time here at Nebraska, obviously on the field, but foremost off the field, and I appreciate you guys following me all the way to Detroit and still supporting me."

 

Suh said it was an odd feeling Friday seeing his name displayed on the stadium. All major national award winners automatically have their jerseys retired, so Suh knew this day was coming. That he graduated from Nebraska less than a year ago and already has his jersey retired was another great accomplishment, Suh said.

 

"I was very excited," Suh said. "I almost got a tear, but not quite."

 

Suh's parents and sister were in attendance.

 

Suh was also recognized during the Spring Game, when he donated $2.6 million to the athletic department and UNL's College of Engineering.

 

He is having a great rookie season with the Lions -- he even attempted a PAT kick -- but still misses Nebraska.

 

"Me and (former Huskers Dominic Raiola and Kyle Vanden Bosch) talk about (college) all the time, and me and other rookies talk about it," Suh said. "I, without a doubt, miss playing here. That's why I get the enjoyment to come back and watch."

 

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Vizsla1 Scout Team

Vizsla1

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i just don't recall there being other members of the team on the field during a retirement of a jersey. I kinda remember family being there, but I could be wrong. The big guy sounded like he got a little chocked up during his speech. What an awesome experience to witness his jersey being retired. Suh is in a class all by himself.

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Nexus All Conference

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There are two video clips from the jersey retirement ceremony worth watching. The first one is embedded in the article quoted below, just click on LINK at the end of the article to view. The 2nd video is here.

 

 

After a memorable day in the last Big 12 Conference game that will ever be played at Memorial Stadium, you try to measure the impact of the most decorated defensive player in college football history.

 

You try to frame his legacy.

 

You try to determine why he was what he was and became what he became.

 

You even try to define the relevance of Ndamukong Suh's return to participate in a halftime celebration to retire his jersey seven months after he announced a $2.6 million gift to his alma mater.

 

Then it hits you.

 

It's the one-year anniversary of Suh's legendary performance in the Big 12 Championship Game, and Nebraska is back in the league's last title game, just like No. 93 promised following the Huskers' first shutout in 45 bowl games last January - a 33-0 win over Arizona.

 

In the midst of watching Suh's legacy continue to grow into an almost certain all-pro season as an NFL rookie, you ask two questions:

 

1) What was his greatest legacy? and 2) What can Nebraska take from that legacy and apply to Saturday night's final Big 12 Championship game against Oklahoma?

 

You'll like the answers we confirmed with his college defensive coordinator.

 

First, Suh's greatest legacy, without any stretch of imagination, is an unparalleled work ethic that he learned at Nebraska and continues to hone on a daily basis in Detroit.

 

Secondly, that work ethic is why a 23-year-old defensive lineman who's already a household name across America believes Nebraska can beat Oklahoma.

 

Within minutes after the Huskers beat Arizona in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, Suh predicted the Huskers would win the 2010 Big 12 Championship and contend for a national title.

 

The state of Texas blew up the bigger goal, but Nebraska loves the irony of still having the opportunity to accomplish its primary goal in ... well, the state of Texas.

 

Wants to a See a Big 12 Title, BCS Bowl Berth

 

"I came to Nebraska to do the things that everybody else wanted to do - win conference championships and go to BCS bowl games," Suh said. "I didn't get to experience that, but I was able to help build the foundation for the team that can experience that. Look where this program is today. We have another chance, the last chance, to win a Big 12 Championship Game. Win that, and we're in the Fiesta Bowl."

 

That's incentive plus, and here's the kicker Suh wants everyone to think about and put their arms around: "These guys are 10-2 without me because they have the Nebraska work ethic," he said. "It's the same work ethic I learned under the Pelinis and the same work ethic I see in practice every day in the NFL."

 

Suh also insists he's still learning from his college coaches, even though he's no longer around them.

 

"The Pelini brothers molded me into the player that I feel I am now," Suh said. "I mean, every time I come back and get a chance to talk to these guys about schemes and things, it's just a great opportunity. One of the reasons I cried at the Outland Trophy Banquet in Omaha was because I knew how much I would miss Coach Bo and Coach Carl. Having them for my last two years of college meant everything to me. They really touched me, and it hurt that I wasn't going to have them for two more years."

 

Suh, though, found a way to keep his strong relationship with both mentors. "I know I can call them, and I do," he said. "I know I can text them, and I do. I mean, Nebraska is the best place in America to play defense. I can't say any more about our coaches than what I know is true in my heart - they are the best."

 

Knowledge + Work Ethic = Confidence

 

They are the best, Suh said, because they use their combination of knowledge and work ethic to breed what matters most in a championship challenge ... confidence.

 

Suh personified that in his final season as a Blackshirt. "I would agree that his work ethic is his greatest legacy," Carl Pelini said Monday, recalling how far his defensive tackle came from the year before when he contemplated turning pro after his junior year.

 

Getting one more year of seasoning from the Pelinis is the greatest decision Suh said he's ever made.

 

"Halfway through last season, I had a pro scout ask me if I thought Suh would make a good pro," Carl Pelini recalled. "I told him that Ndamukong was already a pro because he approaches the game as a craft. He's like a carpenter who's always looking for a way to get better every day. That's what he did at Nebraska, and that approach hasn't changed at Detroit."

 

Suh is the celebrity advertisement for a coaching staff making sure that focusing on the process and getting better every day is posted on every meaningful wall in the football complex.

 

Ask Dominic Raiola, the Hawaii native and Rimington Award winner who flew from Detroit to Lincoln last Friday with Suh, so he could join his Lion teammate and seven other Husker legends that participated in the ceremony.

 

Raiola: No Name Better than Newest One

 

"I don't know if there are any bigger names up on that North Stadium wall than Ndamukong Suh's," said Raiola, the Lions' starting center. "Look at what he did for Nebraska football and what he did for college football. No defensive player was ever more decorated. With Suh, it's all about action, not words. He's a superstar, and he's going to be a Pro Bowler as a rookie ... amazing."

 

Want something more amazing? "He has eight sacks, an interception and a touchdown in his first 11 games in the NFL, and he's getting doubled-teamed, triple-teamed, cut-blocked ... everything," Raiola said. "I mean, I still can't believe my first experience with him in our first preseason game against the Steelers. He was getting double-teamed on the first play ... crazy!"

 

Suh, of course, got used to the extra attention in the Big 12, so he sees it as a challenge in the NFL.

 

"It was just a blessing for me to go to Detroit and be able to play with (ex-Huskers) Dom (Raiola) and Kyle (Vanden Bosch," Suh said. "I go against Dom every day in practice, whether it's a walk-through or in full pads. He's taught me all kinds of things on how to beat players I'm going against at his same position. He's a true mentor who's shown me the ropes. He's kicked my butt a couple of times and talked trash to me just like I talk trash to him. It's all fun and games. We've learned a lot from each other, but I've learned more from him than he's learned from me."

 

Not true. "You know what?" Raiola said. "I get up early and come in to work out about 6 o'clock every morning, and Ndamukong is always there ahead of me. He gets his work done and disappears. It's no wonder he's so good and stays so healthy. We were talking on the flight to Lincoln. He wasn't even tired after playing two complete games in four days. He never wants to come out. You can't describe a guy like him because he never ceases to surprise you. Kyle says he's one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL right now, and he's only played in 11 games."

 

One Amazing Recruit Will Inspire More

 

Raiola just shakes his head and laughs in disbelief. "I can't believe the type of success he's had and the type of player he's become," he said. "That speaks volumes for the Nebraska program. I think his success will help Nebraska recruit players just like him. I mean, he's everything they say he is ... and more!"

 

Suh gives most of the credit to his college coaches. "Every day you spend under the Pelinis and all of our other defensive coaches just makes you that much more confident," Suh said. "They teach you why you have to work so hard every single day."

 

Again Raiola shakes his head. "With the type of work ethic Ndamukong has," he said, "I can't even imagine the possibilities of how much greater he can be and how fast that might happen."

 

Raiola wasn't the only one singing Suh's praises. Listen to what seven other Husker legends said about the man whose jersey was retired last weekend:

 

Tommie Frazier: "He just went out and played the game as hard as he could. He couldn't care less about the accolades. He just straps it up and plays every snap as hard as he can in every game. You don't see too many rookies making the impact he's making in the NFL. He has nothing but great things ahead."

 

Aaron Graham: "With his accomplishments, Suh's going to be the leader of the pack on that wall. His impact on Nebraska football is something that I don't think even he can comprehend right now. He's a catalyst for recruiting. I don't know why any defensive lineman wouldn't want to come to Nebraska."

 

Larry Jacobson: "The thing about Ndamukong Suh is he's just so humble. He knows what he needs to do, and he does what he's supposed to do. He doesn't mouth off. He doesn't do anything bad. That's just who he is. It's pretty easy to get excited to see his name up there. He's a great player and a great guy."

 

Johnny Rodgers: "With Ndamukong's exposure, you see how it can help take Nebraska to the next level. This is the place to come - not just because you're star, but because of the training you will get to be the best you can be, on and off the field. Nebraska has given him great support, and he's given it back."

 

Will Shields: "What makes this special is seeing your name and number in indelible ink. It's an honorable thing. He performed at a high level in college, and he's proving he deserved to be at the top of the draft pick board. It's up to him to set the stage for what he wants to do next in life."

 

Dean Steinkuhler: "It's an honor to be on that wall with someone like Ndamukong because of the way he's played over the years and the way he's playing now in the NFL. He is a tremendous player and person ... one of the best, if not the best up there. He's done so much and given so much back."

 

Zach Wiegert: "Ndamukong is very nice, and that's more important than what he does on the football field any day. Obviously, he was a great college player, and he's already showing he's a great pro, making all the plays against the best in the world. God willing, he'll have a long and great career - on and off the field."

 

Tom Osborne presented Suh with his retired jersey award. "There's no player who's done more for this university," Nebraska's athletic director said afterwards. "He was great on the field and a great student. Not too many would give the Athletic Department what he gave and endow a full scholarship in Engineering. He's unique. We appreciate everything he stands for, and we're glad we could honor him."

 

Suh's parents, Michael and Bernadette Suh, and his sister, Ngum, were proud to be part of the ceremony.

 

"It's wonderful to see him honored like this," Bernadette said. "Everything he's accomplished is the result of his dedication and hard work."

 

Ngum called the retired jersey ceremony a wonderful moment. "It's always great when his Nebraska family can pat him on the back like we're able to do with our own family," she said. "He's an ambassador and always trying to be the example of what you want your own kids to be."

 

His father's grin went ear-to-ear before the ceremony even started. "It's incredible," Michael Suh said after watching the big screen and the short presentation. "No. 1, I have to thank Nebraska for embracing him just like a son to them. In some ways, Nebraska is almost taking over my son from me. That makes me happy because there are so many great parents in Nebraska, and I can only say thank God for that."

 

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