Ndamukong Suh, who hasn’t played in an NFL game since Super Bowl LVII two and a half years ago, today made it official that his NFL career is over. While not a surprise, the timing of the announcement had personal significance to Suh because today is the first anniversary of the death of his father.
“It’s the day I said goodbye to my father, the man who raised me, shaped me, challenged me, and believed in me before I believed in myself,” Suh wrote on social media. “He wasn’t just a dad. He was my idol, my coach, and my anchor. He taught me what it meant to be disciplined, focused, and relentless in everything I do. Every snap I took in football carried his fingerprint. Every time I lined up across from someone, I could hear his voice pushing me, reminding me that I wasn’t just representing myself. I was representing him, my family, my name. Before he passed, he gave me one final piece of advice, ‘It’s time to let football go. You’ve done everything you set out to do. Now it’s time for the next chapter.’”
One of the most dominant defensive tackles in college football history at Nebraska, Suh entered the NFL with the Lions as the second overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft. He made an immediate impact and was the league’s defensive rookie of the year and a first-team All-Pro as a rookie. After earning two more first-team All-Pros in Detroit, he left for Miami, signing a contract that made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history at the time. After three years with the Dolphins he had stints with the Rams and Buccaneers before closing his career with the Eagles.
Suh played in Super Bowls for each of his last three teams, a rare accomplishment in NFL history. The short list of players who have played in Super Bowls for three different franchises includes Rod Woodson (Steelers, Ravens, Raiders), Bill Romanowski (49ers, Broncos, Raiders), Preston Pearson (Colts, Steelers, Cowboys), Harry Swayne (Chargers, Broncos, Ravens) and Joe Jurevicius (Giants, Buccaneers, Seahawks).
Suh was widely regarded as one of the most feared and physically aggressive players in the NFL, a reputation that was well-earned — and a reputation that did not make him well-liked by either opponents or the league office. He was frequently fined and twice suspended for cheap shots, although one of those suspensions, which would have forced him to miss a playoff game for stepping on Aaron Rodgers’ arm, was overturned on appeal. Suh will be remembered as a great player who pushed the envelope and stood out as an old-school defender in an era when the league increasingly emphasized player safety.
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