Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh says he has changed as a player.
Suh, who burst onto the scene as the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year in 2010, says that back then, he was just relying on his physical abilities. Now Suh believes he’s a better player because he has a better mental approach.
“I think without question it’s just growing up,” Suh told the Lions’ website. “Being in the game four years deep now and understanding that it’s not all about brute strength. Really, when I was coming out as a rookie it was just being physical and playing as hard and as fast as possible. Now it’s a combination of the two. Knowing where I can cheat a guy or beat a guy because I see him leaning or doing something different. He thinks I’m doing this because we always do this in a particular play and I can switch it up and still beat a guy.”
Physically, defensive tackles don’t get much more impressive than Suh. If Suh has the mental side of the game down as well, he could be scary.