Former Lions head coach Jim Schwartz didn’t defend only his former quarterback during a radio visit in Nashville on Tuesday. Via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com, Schwartz also disputed persistent criticism of Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
“There were a lot of things that were completely untrue that were said,” Schwartz told 104.5 FM in Nashville. “Somebody said that Ndamukong was constantly late and was doing it to show up the coaching staff and all these different things. And I can say categorically, in four years as a player there, he was late zero times in four years, and I know that for a fact. I was there every single day. Ndamukong was one of our first guys in the building every single day, and he matured as a player also.”
A cynic would point out that Schwartz has no reason to admit he couldn’t control Suh, because that would ultimately be a bad look for Schwartz.
“You’re not going to get voted by your teammates a team captain if you’re the guy that’s late and things like that,” Schwartz said.
A cynic would pointed out that the outcome of a vote is only a reliable as the guy who counts the ballots.
The ultimate test for Schwartz’s faith in Suh would come from an aggressive effort by the Bills, spearheaded by Schwartz, to trade for Suh. Stranger things have happened. This week.