Man Up Ndamukong Suh

Detroit Lions' All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is considered by some to be a very nice guy off the football field; however, on-the-field, he is a mystery waiting to be solved.

The enigmatic Suh was suspended for two games without pay by the NFL on Tuesday for his latest on-the-field incident against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day in a nationally-televised game. Suh will miss the Lions' next two games: Sunday night at New Orleans and Dec. 10th at home to Minnesota.

Suh's actions against Green Bay are the latest in a series of incidents involving the second-year pro this season. In the third quarter with the Packers leading 7-0 and facing a 3rd-and-3 from the Lions' 3-yard line, Suh and Green Bay offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith got entangled on the ground after a pass attempt was incomplete. 

After the whistle had been blown, Suh repeatedly banged Dietrich-Smith's helmet into the turf. Then, to top that, Suh violently stepped on the lineman's arm, which led to him being ejected. Instead of holding the Packers to a field goal and being down only 10-0, Suh's infraction gave Green Bay a new set of downs and the Packers scored a touchdown two plays later. Green Bay won the game 27-15.

Detroit (7-4) is in the hunt for a playoff spot, but if the Lions miss the playoffs by one or two games, Suh's two-game suspension will be the reason why. His erratic behavior has gotten the best of him at times, but his latest encounter has put the Lions in a bad position.

Suh has been involved in several fracases this season which has led to a levy of fines. In two seasons, Suh has been fined a total of $42,500 dollars; however, his latest stunt will be costly. Barring an appeal which he has already inquired, Suh will be docked a total of $164,000 dollars for the two-game suspension.

A $50,000 dollar team-imposed fine also awaits Suh for being ejected from the game. The first-round pick of the 2010 NFL Draft signed a five-year $68 million dollar deal last year, with $40 million guaranteed up front. Money is definitely not a problem for the enigmatic star.

Although money is not an issue for Suh, something much bigger is: his emotions.

Suh plays a position (defensive tackle) that is very physical. Pushing, pulling and grabbing are some of the things that happen when offensive/defensive lineman are engaged in battle. On occasion a player will do the unthinkable such as grabbing a face-mask, pulling on genitals, spitting and other ungodly acts that cause a player to defend himself.

Around the league such acts would warrant a player being labeled dirty. Suh is one of the players known throughout the NFL as being a dirty player. In a recent midseason poll of players around the league, Suh was the consensus pick for being the league's dirtiest player.

Opposing players are letting their voices be heard about Suh's dirty play. In Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons, two Atlanta players accused Suh of taunting Falcons' Matt Ryan after the quarterback sustained a serious leg injury. Afterwards, one of the Falcons said that he had lost a lot of respect for Suh. Three weeks later in a 37-13 loss at Chicago, Suh ripped the helmet off of Bears' quarterback Jay Cutler. In each case Suh was remorseful, only to put himself in a precarious position. He was recently quoted as "being misunderstood."

In a recent meeting he requested with league commissioner Roger Goodell, Suh wanted to know what was legal and what was not. Suh left the meeting stating, "I have gained a better understanding of how I need to continue to play the game to help my team win." That meeting was held at league headquarters in New York on Nov. 2. Now, a few weeks later, Suh, has not only put himself in danger, but his team's playoff chances as well.

Off the field, Suh is widely known for his charitable contributions. Suh donated $2.6 million dollars to his alma mater (Nebraska), a donation that had never been matched by any player. His good-natured appeal has led him to several major endorsements; one being food-chain giant, Subway.

His admirable acts off the field are noble, but his emotions on the field get the best of him. Suh is one of the NFL's greatest talents and he is arguably the Lions' second-best player behind wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Suh has a lot work to do on channeling his anger, especially if he wants to be known as one of the league's greatest defensive tackles of all-time. Anger management classes would be an option.

However, before Suh thinks about anger management, he needs to think about accountability, and the only way to hold himself accountable is for him to "MAN UP!"