Untamed Lion

Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com

Ndamukong Suh was all the rage while he was at Nebraska.

This nasty defensive lineman had it all. Quickness. Agility. Football IQ. Even a little mean streak to boot. He was exactly what the Detroit Lions needed in 2010 NFL Draft after posting a 2-14 record. That's why they drafted in second behind former Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford.

But sometimes you get more than you bargain for.

Over the last four seasons, Suh has been in the spotlight for what some call dirty plays against the opposition...like this one...



Or this one...


Suh's latest "questionable" tactic came in the Lions' Week 1 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings with the former Nebraska Cornhusker took down Vikings center John Sullivan with a low block.

It's not that Suh is a bad player...because he isn't. Suh could easily be one of the most feared defensive lineman in the NFL...for what he does that doesn't draw flags or the attention of the league office. The NFL recently fined Suh $100k because of the low block and, in turn according to sources, Suh plans to appeal the massive fine.

Here's the problem.

Suh is a repeat offender when it comes to cheap shots. Some fans will call it as if Suh is just being aggressive. Being aggressive doesn't mean trying to end a guy's career. I know that you have to turn the switch on to be fearless and be an animal on the field in a violent game like football. For a guy to battle in the trenches, it takes heart and a couple of other parts of the male anatomy. Still, you have to play smart football and, in these situations, Suh hasn't done that and both former as well as current players have taken notice.

"He's a dirty player. What he does and continues to do is ridiculous."

Those are the words of former Indianapolis Colts center and current ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday. There are lots of people who feel that way and rightfully so. ESPN's "Numbers Never Lie" also took note of Suh's play by pointing out that Suh's penalties cost the Lions 182 yards. That's a lot of yards for a defensive lineman.

Suh has been named a captain for his team, but that low block is, without question, unbecoming of a captain. As the guy who goes out for the coin toss, you're one of the leaders of the team and leaders play the game the right way. When you play the game the right way, people take notice and your image is clean. When you're not playing the game the right way, you end up as a topic on Jim Rome's show. To paraphrase a DirecTV commercial, "Don't end up as a topic on the Jim Rome show."

The guy's just seems to have so much anger. Somebody needs to find a way to tame this Lion.