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Career Highlights
- 2009 Associated Press College Player of the Year
- 2009 Heisman Trophy Finalist
- 2009 Unanimous First-Team All-American (1 of 12)
- 2009 Rotary Lombardi Award Winner
- 2009 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Winner
- 2009 Chuck Bednarik Award Winner
- 2009 Bill Willis Award Winner
- 2009 Walter Camp National Player of the Year Award Finalist (one of five)
- 2009 Lott Trophy Finalist (one of four)
- 2009 CBSSports.com National Defensive Player of the Year
- 2009 Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year
- 2009 Big 12 Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year
- 2009 Guy Chamberlin Award Winner
- 2009 Nebraska Team MVP
- Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (vs. Kansas, 2008, vs. Missouri, 2009)
- Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week (vs. Missouri, 2009)
- FWAA National Defensive Player of the Week (vs. Missouri, 2009)
- Lott Trophy Impact Player of the Week (vs. Missouri, 2009; vs. Iowa State, 2009)
- 2008 First-Team All-Big 12 (Associated Press, Dallas Morning News, Kansas City Star, San Antonio Express-News)
- 2008 Second-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)
- 2008 and 2009 Nebraska Defensive MVP
- 2008 Nebraska Co-Lifter of the Year
- 2009 Second-Team Academic All-Big 12
- 2009 Big 12 Commissioner's Spring Academic Honor Roll
2009 (Senior)
Ndamukong Suh became one of the most honored defensive players in college football history in 2009. Suh led a dominating Nebraska defense and his play resulted in accolades on the team, conference and national level.
His senior season capped a highly productive career for the 6-4, 300-pound Suh that left him near the top of numerous Nebraska defensive charts. The honors captured by Suh during his senior season included the following:
-He was the first defensive player to win the Associated Press College Player of the Year Award since the inception of the honor in 1998.
-Suh was the first defensive tackle invited to the Heisman ceremonies in New York since Warren Sapp in 1994. Suh's fourth-place finish in the voting tied for the best by a defensive lineman since Nebraska's Rich Glover was third in 1972. Suh also received the highest-ever point total for a fourth-place finisher and his 161 first-place votes were the most ever for an interior defensive lineman.
-Suh won the Outland Trophy for the nation's top interior lineman, giving Nebraska a nation-leading nine Outland winners (eight players). No other school has won more than five Outlands. Suh was the first Husker to win the award since offensive guard Aaron Taylor in 1997.
-Suh won the Rotary Lombardi Award to become the fifth Husker to win the award and the first since 1997. Nebraska's five Lombardi awards are the second-most by one school in the 40-year history of the award, trailing only Ohio State's six Lombardi Award winners.
-Suh became the fourth Husker to sweep the Lombardi and Outland in the same season, joining Rich Glover (1972), Dave Rimington (1982) and Dean Steinkuhler (1983). Overall, Suh is just the 12th player to capture the Outland and Lombardi in the same season, with the only other player to do so since 1996 being LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey in 2007 (also coached by Bo Pelini).
-Suh made a clean sweep of the national defensive player-of-the-year awards by winning the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. Suh is the first Husker to receive both of those awards, and he became just the fifth player to sweep those two awards, most recently Miami's Dan Morgan in 2000.
-In addition to the awards he won, Suh was also a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year and the Lott Trophy.
-Suh was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by the league's coaches and every major outlet that chose a defender of the year. He was the first defensive player to win Big 12 Player-of-the-Year honors since Grant Wistrom in 1996 and 1997.
-Suh was one of 12 players who were unanimous All-America selections by being named to all five of the All-America teams that are recognized by the NCAA. Suh is the first unanimous All-American for Nebraska since Aaron Tayor in 1997.
As a senior, Suh led Nebraska in tackles for the second straight season with 85 tackles, the most by a defensive lineman since 1974. He also became the first defensive lineman to lead Nebraska in tackles in consecutive seasons. He also led the team in tackles for loss (24), sacks (12), quarterback hurries (26) and blocked kicks (3). His 24 tackles for loss were second on the Nebraska season list, while his 12 sacks ranked third in school history. Suh's 10 pass breakups were second on the team and led the nation's defensive linemen. He also added his fourth career interception, an NU record for defensive linemen.
In the 2009 opener against Florida Atlantic, Suh made seven tackles, including four solo stops. He had five tackles, including 1.5 sacks for 17 yards in losses and three tackles for loss totaling 18 yards against Arkansas State. At Virginia Tech, Suh had a team-high eight tackles, shared a sack and had a Nebraska defensive line record four pass breakups.
He dominanted in Nebraska's key win at Missouri with a sack, an interception, a fumble caused, three hurries, a pass breakup and six total tackles. Suh had two tackles for loss and a career-high four quarterback hurries against Texas Tech, then had another monster effort against Iowa State with eight tackles, including a six-yard sack. He also had three quarterback hurries and blocked two Cyclone kicks--a second-quarter extra point and a fourth-quarter field goal attempt. The blocked kicks were the fourth and fifth of Suh's career.
Suh posted three tackles for loss, including his fifth sack of the season in Nebraska's 20-10 win at Baylor. He had four tackles in NU's stellar defensive performance against Oklahoma, while adding three hurries and his third blocked kick of the season. In the Big 12 North-clinching win over K-State, Suh had 1.5 sacks, nine total tackles and a pair of pass breakups. He added a 17-yard sack, five solo tackles and a pair of hurries at Colorado.
He capped the regular season with one of the finest games ever for a Nebraska defender against Texas in the Big 12 title game. Suh had a game-high 12 tackles, 4.5 sacks and tied a Nebraska record with seven tackles for loss. He completed his career with three tackles and a tackle for loss in NU's shutout of Arizona in the Holiday Bowl.
Suh also had a monster 2008 season, finishing with 7.5 sacks, including 5.5 in the final four games. His 19 tackles for loss in 2008 were ninth on the Nebraska single-season list, with 11 of those stops in the final four games. The 19 tackles for loss were the fourth-most ever by an NU interior lineman and the most since Kenny Walker had 21 in 1990. Suh also tied for the team lead in interceptions with two, and he returned both of those for touchdowns. His two interceptions tied a school season record for defensive tackles. His play as a junior earned Suh first-team All-Big 12 honors.
Suh played in all 12 games with 11 starts as a sophomore, producing four games with four or more tackles among his 34 total tackles. All six of his tackles for loss came in a four-game stretch early in the season. He played a key role in NU's 20-17 win at Wake Forest, recording two tackles for loss.
Suh had four tackles and a tackle for loss against top-ranked USC, then made a season-high six tackles, including a TFL and a fumble recovery against Ball State. In a win against Iowa State, Suh had four solo stops, two tackles for loss and a six-yard sack. He added three tackles and blocked an extra point against Texas A&M.
Suh played in all 14 games as a backup defensive lineman and earned freshman all-conference honors from The Sporting News in 2006. Despite coming off the bench, he finished the year with 19 total tackles, and ranked among the team leaders in tackles for loss (8) and sacks (3.5). He played in two games as a true freshman, but was injured and received a medical hardship.
Suh left Nebraska with his name prominently displayed in the Cornhusker record book.
-Suh had 57 career tackles for loss, good for the No. 2 spot on the list, just behind Grant Wistrom's school-record 58.5 tackles for loss.
-His 24 career sacks are tied for fourth in Nebraska history.
-He finished with 215 career tackles to rank 24th on the Nebraska career list. He ranked fourth among interior defensive linemen in career tackles.
-His 15 career breakups were also a position record, bettering the 11 by Steve Warren (1996-99).
-Suh had at least one tackle for loss in 21 of his final 25 games, including 12 of 14 games as a senior.
-He made at least five total tackles in 15 of his final 20 games.
-The two blocked kicks against Iowa State tied a Nebraska single-game record for any player and was a position record for defensive linemen. His three blocked kicks for the season were a position record, bettering his own two blocks in 2008.
-Suh's six career blocked kicks were a record for defensive linemen and were one shy of the school record for blocked kicks by any player.
2008 (Junior)
Suh was the first Nebraska defensive lineman to lead the team in tackles since 1973, and his 76 total tackles were the most by a Husker lineman since 1992. He posted 7.5 sacks and his 19 tackles for loss were the eighth-best total in school history. Suh’s play helped Nebraska finish second in the Big 12 in total defense at 349.8 yards per game, an improvement of 126 yards per game from the 2007 campaign. Suh also helped Nebraska record 35 sacks on the season, 22 more than its 2007 total.
While controlling the center of the line was Suh’s primary job, he also used his athleticism to provide several game-changing plays during his junior season. Suh intercepted a pair of passes and returned both of them for touchdowns, including a dramatic game-clinching score in the regular-season finale against Colorado. He had a career game against Kansas that earned him Big 12 Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors. Suh also became a fixture as a fullback in short-yardage situations late in the season, and against the Jayhawks he showed his athletic ability when he caught a two-yard touchdown pass.
Suh showed no ill effects from knee surgery that kept him out of spring practice, starting all 13 games and making 39 solo stops among his tackle total. His sack and tackle for loss numbers led the team, and he added a forced fumble, six quarterback hurries, three breakups and two blocked kicks. Suh finished the season with nine games of five or more tackles, including six in Big 12 Conference play, and had at least one tackle for loss in 11 of 13 games. His 5.8 tackles per game led all Big 12 defensive linemen by 1.4 tackles per game.
Suh recorded his first major highlight against San Jose State when he picked off a first-quarter Spartan pass and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown to give NU a 14-6 lead. A week later, Suh registered his first two sacks of the year and forced a fumble in a 38-7 victory over New Mexico State. Suh made seven tackles, including two tackles for loss against Missouri, and also made seven tackles each against Baylor and at Oklahoma. Against the Bears, Suh added his second career blocked kick.
He exploded for a career game against Kansas, finishing with 12 total tackles, including five solo stops. He had 2.5 sacks for 18 yards in losses and four tackles for loss totaling 19 yards. His 12 tackles were the most by a defensive lineman in three seasons while the 2.5 sacks were the most by any Husker since 2003 and the four tackles for loss were the most by an NU defender in 38 games.
Suh made five tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack at Kansas State, then capped the regular season with three tackles and the crucial touchdown against Colorado. He closed his season in style in the Gator Bowl victory over Clemson. Suh made eight total tackles, including six solo stops. He tied his career high with four tackles for loss and had two sacks for 19 yards.
Suh also blocked a second-quarter Tiger field-goal attempt, his second blocked kick of 2008.
2007 (Sophomore)
Suh played in all 12 games with 11 starts, producing four games with four or more tackles among his 34 total tackles on the season. All six of his tackles for loss came in a four-game stretch early in the season.
Suh played a key role in NU’s 20-17 win at Wake Forest, recording two tackles for loss. Both of his stops behind the line occurred inside the NU 10-yard line, one forcing Wake to kick a field goal and the other helping result in a game-saving interception in the fourth quarter.
Suh had four tackles and a tackle for loss against top-ranked USC, then made a season-high six tackles, including a TFL and a fumble recovery against Ball State. In a win against Iowa State, Suh had four solo stops, two tackles for loss and a six-yard sack. He added three tackles and blocked an extra point against Texas A&M, then closed the year with five tackles and two pass breakups at Colorado.
2006 (Redshirt Freshman)
Suh played in all 14 games as a backup defensive lineman and earned freshman all-conference honors from The Sporting News. Despite coming off the bench, he finished the year with 19 total tackles, and ranked among the team leaders in tackles for loss (8) and sacks (3.5).
He totaled at least one tackle for loss in five of seven games to start the year, including a three-TFL effort featuring 1.5 sacks against Troy and NU’s lone sack against USC. He added three stops against both Nicholls State and Kansas State, when he also finished with two tackles for loss, a sack, a fumble caused, an interception and two quarterback hurries. Suh also saw time on special teams as a blocker on the place-kicking unit.
2005 (Injured-Redshirt)
Suh was one of a school-record 13 true freshmen to see action in 2005. He played in the first two games and had an assisted tackle against Wake Forest before missing the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery. He received a medical redshirt.
Before Nebraska (Grant HS)
Suh was a two-way star at Grant High School, where he earned Parade All-America honors and was voted the 2004 Portland Interscholastic League Defensive Player of the Year and the state Class 4A Defensive Player of the Year. As a senior, Suh had 65 tackles, including 10 sacks and recovered four fumbles. He also starred on the offensive line for Coach William Griffin, helping the Generals to a 9-3 record and a berth in the state quarterfinals. Suh earned first-team all-league honors on both offense and defense, and in addition to his defensive accolades was a first-team all-state pick on offense by at least one media outlet. Suh also earned first-team All-PIL honors on both offense and defense as a junior and was an honorable-mention all-state pick as a junior.
Suh was listed as the top prospect in the state of Oregon by Rivals.com and among the top 10 defensive tackle prospects in the country. Suh played in the U.S. Army All-American Game, where he lined up on the offensive line. Suh also played basketball and was a track standout for Grant High. He earned honorable-mention all-league honors in basketball as a junior and senior.
In track he was the district shot put champion in 2004, and won the OSAA Class 4A shot put title in 2005 with a school-record throw of 61-4. For his all-around athletic accomplishments, Suh was a finalist for the Portland Tribune’s Athlete of the Year. Suh chose Nebraska over California, and also visited Miami, Oregon State and Mississippi State.
Personal
Suh’s mother, Bernadette, is from Jamaica, while his father, Michael, hails from Cameroon. In the Ngema tribe in Cameroon, Ndamukong means “House of Spears.” Suh was born on Jan. 6, 1987, and he will earn his degree in construction management this December. Ndamukong was named to the 2009 Big 12 Commissioner’s Spring Academic Honor Roll. He has volunteered with Nebraska’s local hospital visits and also recently volunteered his time as a speaker at Pound Middle School.
Suh's Career Statistics
Tackles
Fum.
QB
Year
G/S
UT
AT
TT
TFL
Sacks
C-R
BK
PBU
PI
Hry.
2005*
2/0
0
1
1
0-0
0-0
0-0
0
0
0
0
2006
14/1
12
7
19
8-45
3.5-37
1-0
0
0
1
2
2007
12/11
22
12
34
6-29
1-6
0-1
1
2
0
4
2008
13/13
39
37
76
19-85
7.5-67
1-0
2
3
2
6
2009
14/14
52
33
85
24-93
12-77
1-0
3
10
1
26
Totals
55/39
125
90
215
57-252
24-187
3-1
6
15
4
38
*Received medical redshirt
Single-Game Highs
Tackles-12 vs. Kansas, 2008, vs. Texas, 2009 Big 12 Championship Game
Solo Tackles-10 vs. Texas, 2009 Big 12 Championship Game
Sacks-4.5 vs. Texas, 2009 Big 12 Championship Game
Tackles for Loss-7 vs. Texas, 2009 Big 12 Championship Game (ties school record)
Pass Breakups-4 vs. Virginia Tech, 2009