Honors and Awards

·     2009 All-America Candidate

·     2009 Lombardi Award, Outland Trophy and Nagurski Award Candidate

·     2009 Lott Trophy Watch List

·     2008 First-Team All-Big 12 (Associated Press, Dallas Morning News, Kansas City Star, San Antonio News-Express)

·     2008 Second-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)

·     2008 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (vs. Kansas)

·     2008 Nebraska Defensive MVP

·     Nebraska Season Record for Interceptions by a Defensive Tackle (2)

·     Nebraska Season Record for Interception Returns for Touchdowns by a Defensive Tackle (2)

·     Nebraska Career Record for Interceptions by a Defensive Tackle (3)

·     2006 First-Team Freshman All-Big 12 (Sporting News)

·     Big 12 Commissioner’s Spring Academic Honor Roll (2009)

2009 Game by Game (Updated 12-14-2009)

Florida Atlantic: Game captain... second on team with seven tackles, including team-best four solo... added one of team's four TFL... added a pass breakup... helped team limit FAU to 3.5 yards per carry (122 rushing yards). Arkansas State: Racked up five tackles, including three TFLs for 18 yards lost... added first sacks of season, collecting a solo and splitting one with linemate Jared Crick... added a QB hurry. Virginia Tech: Dominated the front line in another nationally televised game... led the team with eight tackles including 0.5 sack and one TFL... added a QB hurry and four PBU... the four pass breakups were an NU single-game record for defensive linemen (tackles or ends). Louisiana-Lafayette: Tied for team lead with six tackles... posted a TFL and added another pass breakup to tie the NU season and career position records for a defensive tackle. Missouri: Selected as a game captain... dominated the line of scrimmage and harassed MU quarterback Blaine Gabbert all night... finished third on team with six tackles, including five solo stops, while leading team with three QB hurries... added a forced fumble on first-quarter QB sack of Gabbert... also collected fourth-quarter interception that led to NU's go-ahead touchdown... also had a breakup earlier in the contest... led Blackshirt defense that allowed just 225 total yards, including 91 rushing yards (23 on last play of game). Texas Tech: Posted four solo tackles as NU held Red Raiders to just 25 yards rushing... had a pair of TFL for 10 yards as NU had 13 team TFL... added career-high four quarterback hurries, part of eight hurries on the day. Iowa State: Third on team with eight tackles, including six solo stops... added sack for six yards, giving him double-figure TFLs for second straight season... added three QB hurries to bring two-game total to seven... added two blocked kicks (PAT and FGA)... now has five career blocked kicks... helped Blackshirts hold ISU to 239 total yards. Baylor: Had five tackles including three solo stops... moved to third on NU career TFL list with three stops behind the line of scrimmage... added 17th career sack to move into seventh on NU career list... also had two QB hurries to move season team-leading total to 14. Oklahoma: Game captain... had four tackles, tying season low... disruptive force in backfield with game-high three quarterback hurries... also caused a pass breakup that turned into an interception... added a blocked a field goal, extending his  NU season and career records for blocks. Kansas: Had three tackles, including two solos... helped pressure KU quarterback by adding two of team's seven hurries. Kansas State: Quietly had season high with nine tackles, including four solo stops... added season-high tying 1.5 sacks for six yards lost... was fourth multiple-TFL game of season... also had two pass breakups to increase his own season (10) and career (15) record for lineman... added a QB hurry. Colorado: Third on team with five tackles, all solo... added two quarterback hurries, the seventh time in last eight games with multiple hurries... also had team's only TFL, a 17-yard sack in the third quarter... moved him within one TFL of second place on Nebraska career list. Texas: Came out with best game of career in Big 12 Championship, pushign him to earn a spot as Heisman Trophy finalist...had career-high-tying 12 tackles including 10 solo stops...added school-record tying seven TFL for 22 yards...also posted career-best 4.5 sacks for 21 yards lost, just 0.5 sack off teammate Jared Crick's school record...had moer sacks of QB Colt McCoy by himself than any whole team had agaisnt McCoy in his career...led team to 9.0 sacks and 15 team TFL on the night...added two quarterback hurries...numbers moved him to second all-time at Nebraska in career TFL (56) and fourth in sacks (24.0).

2009 Outlook

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (pronounced En-dom-ah-ken Soo) emerged as one of the Big 12’s most dominant defensive forces during his junior season and will anchor the Nebraska defense in 2009. The 6-4, 300-pound Suh possesses a rare combination of power and athleticism and regularly demonstrated the ability to control the line of scrimmage from his interior position.

He was among the leading reasons Nebraska fielded one of the nation’s most-improved defenses last fall. Suh led all Big 12 defensive linemen in tackles per game, and produced several critical game-changing plays in 2008.

Suh will enter his senior season as a leading contender for numerous honors and awards,

and he is likely to leave his name in a prominent position in the Cornhusker record book. He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2008, the first Nebraska interior defensive lineman to earn first-team all-league honors since Steve Warren in 1999. Suh should be considered a strong contender for higher honors as a senior. He and returning defensive ends Pierre Allen and Barry Turner form the nucleus of what should be a strong front four.

Suh enters his senior year with 33 career tackles for loss–just five tackles for loss from the Nebraska career top 10 and within striking distance of second place on the list. He also has 12 career sacks, and could make a push for the top five on that chart.

Suh came to Nebraska from Portland, Ore., and was Nebraska’s first-ever scholarship signee from that state. He is expected to earn his degree in construction management this December, joining 10 other Husker seniors who are expected to complete their undergraduate work during the fall semester.

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

*Suh was granted a medical hardship following the 2005 season and regained a year of eligibility

Single-Game Highs
Tackles–12 vs. Kansas, 2008
Solo Tackles–6 vs. Clemson, 2009 Gator Bowl
Sacks–2.5-18 vs. Kansas, 2008
Tackles for Loss–4-19 vs. Kansas, 2008, 4-24 vs. Clemson, 2009 Gator Bowl
Interceptions-1, four times, 2 in 2008