Says problems grew as things went unchecked Brad Biggs
It’s dawned on the Detroit Lions that maybe they didn’t do enough to prevent Ndamukong Suh from combusting this past season.
That’s the conclusion general manager Martin Mayhew reached when he visited with The 2 Live Stews on 790-AM in Atlanta.
“It’s funny how things go,” Mayhew said, according to the Detroit Free-Press. “I think, early on, he had a couple of borderline sort of plays and, looking back on it, probably not enough people talked to him in those situations. And then when this thing happened, probably too many people talked to him. He had everybody -- the guy driving the bus to the games had an opinion on what Ndamukong needed to do. I got letters from every sports psychologist and counselor in the Detroit metro area. He had so much input, it was probably too much.”
Suh was suspended for two games after stomping on the arm of Green Bay Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith in a Thanksgiving Day game at Ford Field. He’d piled up penalties in his first 1 ½ seasons in the NFL.
The Lions finally realized they had a problem after the suspension. Mayhew said he spoke to Suh about the incident but wouldn’t share details about the meeting. Down the stretch, Suh avoided any costly 15-yard penalties.
“Ndamukong’s a very, very intelligent person, intelligent football player," Mayhew said. "He has a really solid foundation. Great family, great network of support around him. And he’s going to come through this thing. He’s actually come through it, as far as I’ve seen. He came back with a great attitude, played great down the stretch, and we’re going to put this behind him and move forward next year.”
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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune
Suh, could be one of the all time greats, but blatant disregard for the rules will only muddy those waters. The Iions have a young organization with just a few more pieces of the puzzle to fill ( RB) they will be a regular in the post season. How Suh and Fairley behave is a huge factor on far they will go .
Lions don't need an RB, the o-line is the issue here. We have 2 great young running backs in Mikel Leshoure and Jahvid Best. If both can stay healthy and we bring back Kevin Smith I believe we will be a top 10 running team.
Jan 19, 2012
11:09 AM
Suh made a guest appearance on CBS for the divisional round of the playoffs. The great hosts include some Hall of Famers and tough guy coach Cowher. All of them clearly respected the talent of Suh and brought him along on the set. They see the side of him that needs to come forward more, where he makes good things come from this sport and his career in it. He was among peers and began to sense the potential he has to get on their level. Good to see that growth and maturity emerge in such a good player.