Ndamukong Suh is on his third straight Super Bowl crew. What’s his secret?

Ndamukong Suh selected Philadelphia.

Suh additionally selected Tampa Bay and Los Angeles earlier than that. 

Why is that vital? 

All three groups have gone to a Super Bowl throughout Suh’s time there. You would possibly say he has a Midas contact, or maybe a crystal ball. Either approach, he isn’t divulging his secrets and techniques simply but.

“I think my evaluation process is pretty confidential, first and foremost,” he stated with a sly smile.

I caught up with him in Arizona, on the cusp of taking part in in his third Super Bowl in 5 years, now donning a midnight inexperienced jersey round his neck, not fairly all the way in which on. Suh is attempting to remain as inconspicuous as is feasible for a 6-foot-4, 313-pound defensive sort out. On media evening, he hid as greatest he may from the throngs of reporters from everywhere in the world at Footprint Arena. Here, in a ballroom on the crew lodge with fewer methods to flee, he is at a desk all the way in which behind the room. It’s as a result of Suh is not right here to be the dude. He’s been there, completed that by way of stops in Detroit and Miami to begin his profession. But that does not imply he is not nonetheless a dude on what might be one of the best defensive entrance in all of soccer.

“I’ve always prided myself on being able to adjust and adapt and play within any type of scheme whether it’s 3-4, 4-3 and then now being in position to where I’m a 1b instead of a 1a,” he stated.

There’s no bitterness in his tone. Something to bear in mind about Suh: he is terribly self-aware. He’s additionally meticulous and thorough in every thing he does. So, whereas he wasn’t essentially forthcoming about precisely how he determines the place he lands, there are some issues he appears to be like for.

“If I give you a little tidbit, it’s just finding understanding. Kind of what role is expected of myself and how they operate as an organization,” Suh stated. “And going to L.A., going to Tampa and now here in Philly, I would say the one of the things that these teams focus on is building their team around the line, and even though I’ve said it before, and I think it’s very important, you got to have great skill players. As you know, we had great guys down in Tampa with Mike [Evans] and Chris Godwin. You obviously have [Lavonte David] and all the other guys that we had on the defense but it ran through our defense. It ran through our offensive line and had great success with those pieces. And then that just allowed our skill guys to shine even more. So that’s how I’ve always viewed it and had a lot of respect for what Howie [Roseman] has built here and built this year.”

It is not typically you hear of a defensive sort out involved with talent gamers when deciding which crew to hitch. Given his adaptability in scheme, it appears Suh is extra involved with the locker room as an entire. Whether it is the bodily expertise of particular person gamers or the place priorities lie in assembling a crew. Not solely do the Eagles have the league’s deepest defensive position rotation, the place gamers like Suh and veteran Linval Joseph are depth gamers, however they’ve an offensive line that boasts three potential Hall of Famers. From Suh’s perspective, that is a no brainer.

But Philadelphia wasn’t the one crew with curiosity in Suh’s companies. 

Suh did not signal with Philly till after Week 10. His first sport got here in a win over Indianapolis the place he performed 26% of the crew’s defensive snaps. He break up a sack.

The time earlier than that signing was stuffed with early-morning exercises, which Suh isn’t any stranger to. As a local of Portland, Ore., he’s out and in of Nike headquarters and assembly with trainers, nutritionists and physique efficiency specialists each offseason. He’s thorough and meticulous.

The first a part of this season was particular, although. He and his spouse Katya had twin boys, Kingston and Khari, in March of 2021. As a consequence, morning exercises have been adopted by “lots of playtime,” making Suh maybe one of the best conditioned he is ever been. I imply, have you ever tried maintaining with toddlers? Much much less the dual boys of two elite athletes (Suh’s spouse performed faculty basketball at Kansas State and Nebraska). 

There have been different gives throughout that point. There was mutual curiosity in Suh going to San Francisco, in reality. Their defensive position coach, Kris Kocurek, drafted Suh to Detroit and Suh wished to reunite. 

“I had another opportunity to go to San Francisco. I didn’t take it,” he stated. “And they met us in the NFC Championship and the right team prevailed.”

Chalk that as much as Suh’s secret choice course of, I suppose. Suh stated it did not find yourself being the proper scenario ultimately. But when the Eagles got here calling, he did his homework.

“I think it’s overall players and how the team is built,” Suh stated. “It’s kind of what I look at from the broad scheme of things, but then also, I have a lot of conversations with not only [Darius] Slay and Fletcher [Cox] and some of the other guys that are a part of the team already just to get a feel for how things were and what were some of the issues of why they had lost that game to Washington and stuff like that. So for me, I do my research. I’m not going to just go into something blind just because of some opportunity.”

Philadelphia was the proper alternative. Just as Tampa and Los Angeles have been. Suh averages about 35-40% of the crew’s defensive snaps, which he does not see as a foul factor. It retains him recent and has his physique feeling higher than it ever has at this level within the season. That, together with Joseph, Cox, Javon Hargrave and Milton Williams on the inside has led to some critical outcomes for everybody on the road, together with the sting rushers. 

The protection set a franchise document for sacks this season. Four gamers had 10 or extra sacks within the common season, with Haason Reddick main the way in which with 16. Brandon Graham had his first double-digit sack season at age 34. As an inside participant, Cox had seven sacks.

Suh might solely have one sack in an Eagles jersey, however the veteran presence he brings and the mentality of the unit he is a part of make him essential to what Philadelphia has been in a position to do that season.

“Overall, I would say it was just an opportunity to come in and add value, be a part of the defensive line that was already good,” stated Suh. “Helping them get to great and get to elite. I feel like myself and Linval added tremendous value in not only the run game but also in the pass game. It may not always show up in statistics, but when you have 70 sacks, there’s a reason why there’s a lot of guys in the interior and exterior that are all working together seamlessly to make plays happen.”

Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen had earlier stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, together with 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can observe Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.

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