Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is in an interesting place as he enters his third NFL season.
Suh gained notoriety as a talented young defender with a mean streak during his hugely successful rookie year in 2010. His sophomore season was a step back, however. His production dipped, and he cemented his reputation as a dirty player with his infamous Thanksgiving Day stomping of Green Bay Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith.
Which Suh will we see in 2012? In a profile in the new GQ, the Lions star made it clear no PR reinvention of self is on tap.
"I love hitting Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler. Ben Roethlisberger, I would like to go against him, because they say he's one of the hardest to take down," Suh said. "I see that as a challenge, so I would love to take him down multiple times. Peyton Manning, oh, I would love that. I think Michael Vick, I did sack him, one of the most elusive quarterbacks to ever play the game. I took him down with one arm."
As he's done many times in the past, Suh refuted the idea he's a dirty player.
"A dirty player is somebody who ultimately is trying to hurt somebody. There's a huge difference," he said. "There's no gray in that. Like, you have no conscience, no nothing, no guilt. I don't have that mean streak in me. I don't play angry. It's not anger."
Suh has accumulated nine personal-foul penalties and one suspension in his first two seasons. Many of the infractions seem to be borne more out of frustration and lack of control rather than anger. That's a pretty fine line, though.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
