Stop the presses: A guy paid to train Ndamukong Suh says that Ndamukong Suh is in tremendous shape.
While Suh skipped much of the Lions’ voluntary offseason work, he continued to work, with trainer Mike Barwis saying he went above and beyond.
“Ndamukong is a stud,” Barwis told NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. “He trains very, very hard. Guys finish up the workouts, and he’s the guy in there who stays extra to condition beyond what’s demanded of him, and these workouts are pretty hellacious. A guy like that is a pretty unique guy, . . .
“He knows what he has to do to be ready, and I think he’s proven that every year he’s been ready.”
Suh also appeared on the league’s own network to say his staying away wasn’t about a contract, or any rift with coach Jim Caldwell.
“I think with this day and age, and with technology and the ability to do anything from anywhere in this world, it’s not that big of a deal because we made great adjustments,” Suh said. “And even being a leader, we didn’t pick our unity counsels and our captains as of yet, but our unity counsels wasn’t even picked until, I believe, right before our minicamps, so it’s still very open.
“Our biggest part of the year for us, outside of OTAs and minicamps, is [training] camp. So that’s what we’re getting ready to go in to.”
Suh’s condition has never really been a question, that we can remember. His attendance and compliance with becoming a part of a larger whole has been.
And while some guys lead by showing up every day and setting a good example, the Lions are counting on Suh doing what he does best — being a dominant player. As long as that holds up, the rest is just chatter.