ONE ON ONE With Ndamukong Suh By Inner City Players Portland, Oregon

Adversity can be a slippery slope when it comes to athletes. On one hand, you have athletes that strive for the added pressure to succeed even though all is not well. Brett Farve had one of his greatest football performances just days after losing his father. Obviously overwhelmed by grief, Farve used that historic Monday Night game in 2004 as a form of therapy. On the other hand, being faced with adverse situations can also take it's toll on an athlete. The 2005 season saw Brett Farve and the Packers lose WR Javon Walker to injury and Brett Farve lead the NFL in interceptions. What a difference a year makes.

Ndamkong Suh or "Damo" for short, dealt with his own deck of adversity this past year. "Damo"( 6'5, 295lbs.) went into his freshman year at Nebraska as one of the most highly recruited defensive players in the country. The 2004 Gatorade Player of the Year expected to make an impact as a true freshman on a strong Nebraska team. Then adversity set in. Suh suffered an injury to his knee that would eventually need surgery. 3 weeks later and only partially recovered from surgery, "Damo" showed his true grit by practicing with his teammates. At which point his coaches decided to make him sit out the rest of the season in order for the knee to heal properly and save thier top prospect. Ndamukong finished the season with very little time played on the field.

Suh: It was very fun. I actually got to do everything but play in the game. Our team was treated real well down in Texas. The best part was that we won 32-28.

ICP: That's huge to even be a part of bowl game as a true freshman. Even though your season was cut short due to injury, what did you learn that will be an asset to you next year when your healthy?

Suh: I learned that the most important things for a defensive lineman is the use of hands and getting a good jump off the ball. A good jump can disrupt the play before it starts.

ICP: Beyond the adversity of dealing with an injury you also had to adjust from highschool to college. What adjustments did you have to make on and off the field.
Suh: Well off the field, I really had to prioritize my schedule. The homework in college takes more concentration. On the field, the speed of game takes time to adjust to. I also had to adjust my thinking when it came to not playing the rest of the season. I had to look at it as a grace period to rehab and come back stronger next year.

ICP: With a 2.9 GPA I would say that you've adjusted academically pretty well. In Spring 2005 I interviewed you and you mentioned some individual as well as team goals that you had. Were those goals achieved?
Suh: No. Individually I didn't meet my goals for sacks, tackles, and of course playing time. Team wise, we did make it to a bowl game and I was allowed to travel. So you could say that a team goal was reached, but we're far from satisfied.

ICP: Your head coach, Bill Callahan is known more for his offensive creativity than his defensive schemes, how is that working out for you?
Suh: Coach Callahan is great. He always comes down to watch our defensive lineman drills and is very involved with the defensive as a group. He's a fun guy with a vast knowledge of football in general, not just offense.

ICP: Tell me who your favorite defensive players are and why?
Suh: I would have to say Dwight Freeney and Warren Sapp. Dwight Freeney is cat quick, has very good hands and is relentless. Warren Sapp is an animal on the field. He stays agressive and makes plays.

ICP: With your off-season underway, what will you add to your game for next season.
Suh: I definetly want to get bigger, stronger, and quicker. I may never be as quick as Dwight Freeney but I can be quicker off the ball. Other than that, I'm not saying anything else about next season, I'd rather show you!