I've been working on getting a Heisman vote this season. In fact, after watching Nebraska beat Missouri on Thursday, I e-mailed my regional director again to make sure he includes my name on the list of new voters. If I had a ballot and it was due today, I know who I would vote No. 1.
Ndamukong Suh.
Suh, a senior defensive tackle Nebraska, proved again Thursday why NFL general managers covet him more than just about anyone else in the nation. And if they think Suh is the nation's most outstanding player, why shouldn't Heisman voters, who are tasked with selecting - and I'm using the Heisman committee's words here - the nation's most outstanding player?
I touted Suh for Heisman before the season began, but after Thursday I'm even more convinced he deserves consideration. Consider Suh's night Thursday. In the first quarter, he dragged down Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert, causing a fumble. For much of the first half, Suh blew up almost every Missouri rushing attempt, and he constantly harassed Gabbert, who was limping thanks to an ankle injury suffered when Suh sacked him.
Late in the third quarter, Suh - who had dropped into coverage - barely missed grabbing the first interception of Gabbert's career. Early in the fourth, Suh finished the job. He leaped and deflected a pass, then cradled it in his paws. Few 300-pounders on the planet are athletic enough to intercept that pass.
Suh's final statline: six tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one interception. He also disrupted almost every play Missouri ran.
For the season, Suh leads the Cornhuskers with 32 tackles. That may not sound impressive, but a defensive tackle who leads his team in tackles, drops into coverage and picks off passes is every bit as oustanding as a 4,000-yard passer or an 1,800-yard back. The problem is that the average Heisman voter doesn't understand how much a dominant defensive tackle can change a game.
Voters often counter that quarterbacks receive an inordinate amount of votes because the ball is in their hands every play. What they fail to consider is that a player like Suh affects every play in which he participates. Opposing offensive coordinators must design game plans around him. Quarterbacks must always know where he is. Offensive linemen must double-team him, lest their quarterback suffer as Gabbert did Thursday.
So, please, Heisman committee, give me a vote. I'll do exactly as you ask and select the nation's most outstanding player.
Right now, that's Ndamukong Suh.
Esti Ginzburg
Julie Ordon
Arizona Rattlers Cheerleaders
Biggest Retirements of 2010
Comments (85) Add A Comment
I support this claim right now. I have never seen such a dominant Defensive Tackle and he truly dominates nearly every play. Defense wins championships and Suh has a HUGE part in making Nebraska a viable, national team, even with an offensive unit that doesn't often gel together when faced with big plays or stiff competition.
AlteredBeastGAF
Total Comments (1)
That's one hell of a statement to make on Suh, considering during any of the college football segments on ESPN or CBS there is no defensive guy listed in anyones top ten. I think Suh is one hell of a football player and it's going to pain me to see him go. He represents the BlackShirts well.
RabenMP
Fort Leonard Wood, MO
Total Comments (2)
Hands down - Suh is the most dominant player in college football right now. And it's more than just his play (which is astonishingly great, to say the least). His attitude on and off the field. The way he motivates his entire team. The way he changes a game. He is such a dominant force in the game, that I'm sure opposing coaches are having to change their offensive schemes because of what Suh brings to the table. I dare the masses to give me the name of a single player in all of football (college or pro) who causes that kind of reaction.
Long live the blackshirts - GO BIG RED!!!!
PatJames
Bellevue , NE
Total Comments (6)
This guy was a one man wrecking crew. He changed the game single handedly last night. I would agree with the writer on this one and should get a Heisman vote or two. It will be interesting to watch Suh on Sundays and see if he has the same impact. He is a 300lb version of Tebow on defense with the same athleticism. He is crazy!
Diggler
Total Comments (473)
It would be nice if this award was given to the "most outstading player" instead of the most flashy QB or RB. The trend past 10 years has taken away from the its luster.
MozRU
Total Comments (36)
I hope this article doesn't get written off as simply being reactive. Suh is seriously a beast. And since everyone ('cept for the Tebow lovers) keeps saying the Heisman race is wide open, why not at least throw him up for consideration?
scream
Chicago , IL
Total Comments (2)
I hope this article doesn't simply get written off as being reactive to one game. Suh is an absolute beast and deserves every good word said about him. If the Heisman race is really as wide open as everyone says it is, it's not crazy talk to give Suh some consideration.
scream
Chicago , IL
Total Comments (2)
Eric Norwood is having a better year.
Rdbrrn16
Total Comments (2)
Suh
-15 solo
-17 assists
-4 TFL
-3 assists
-3 sacks
-7 passes defended (more than anyone in the SC secondary)
-1 forced fumble
-1 interception
Norwood
-19 solo
-11 assists
-6 TFL
-1 assist
-6 sacks
-0 passes defended
-1 forced fumble
-2 interceptions
Rdbrrn16
Total Comments (2)
I agree with this sports writer 100%. I wish that all of the heisman voters out there could get over statistics W-L records and actually give defensive players the respect they deserve in the hiesman voting.
If you look at the NFL draft which the NFL teams select the most outstanding player availiable (tempered by needs of course) that usually half or more of the first 30 picks are defensive and yet none of the heisman top 10 are defensive.
13Doogie
Total Comments (86)
Eric Norwood wouldn't even start on NU's D
muddyHanes
Total Comments (1)
There's no question that Suh is an outstanding player, a dominating defensive tackle, and a sure fire pro-prospect. We may be looking at the next Warren Sapp or Albert Haynesworth.
But does he actually lead the nation in any meaningful statistic? Sacks? TFL's? Does his team lead the nation in any such meaningful stats, owing to other teams having to double-team Suh? Is there any game that Nebraska has won this season because of Suh's play?
I seem to recall that the Nebraska defense gave up a terrible late touchdown to Virginia Tech.
It was also patently obvious during last night's Mizzou game that Freshman QB Blake Gabbert simply couldn't perform in to his usual league-leading efficiency in the bad weather conditions. Gabbert went into the game completing something close to 70% of his passes with a QB rating in the neighborhood of 170. Last night he completed 39% with a QB rating of 56!!! And he only got sacked twice.
Let's pencil him in at the top of the list for the Lombardi and leave a spot on the ballot for possible Heisman consideration in the future should Suh actually become the "best in the nation" in some meaningful statistic.
The_Guvnah
Austin , TX
Total Comments (363)
It's peculiar to me to see Andy Staples resort to squishy, subjective, impressionistic criteria for picking Heisman candidates when he has been beating the drum for "objectivity" when it comes to the AP & Coaches' polls.
The_Guvnah
Austin , TX
Total Comments (363)
The idea of awarding the Heisman based on NFL draft projections is idiotic, bordering on imbecilic.
Think of the players who would NOT have won the Heisman had that criteria been used...
Marcus Allen
Herschel Walker
Barry Sanders
Ricky Williams
Eddie George
Matt Leinart
That's just off the top of my head.
NFL teams rarely select the "most outstanding player available (tempered by needs of course)". That's just flat wrong. The NFL draft is all about a particular team's needs. Which is why Dallas took Troy Aikman over Barry Sanders when there is ABSOLUTELY no question that Troy Aikman wasn't even CLOSE to being the most outstanding college player the year Sanders won the Heisman.
The_Guvnah
Austin , TX
Total Comments (363)
@The_Guvnah: It's peculiar that someone who takes care to squeeze as much spongy, ductile, and generally inappropriate verbiage in his sports comments would put such a premium on statistics. Surely you can appreciate that there is no way to quantify the value of being disruptive and relevant on each and every play on defense. This doesn't mean we can just dismiss it. Or do you think the world's greatest grandpa is measured by hugs/year?
Jimharbough
Total Comments (1)
Rdbrrn16 may i point out to you that eric norwood is a linebacker and is expected to have better statistics because that is what is expected at his position. Suh is a defensive tackle you couldn't expect him to lead the nation in any statistics. The bottom line tho is that he is down right dominating at his position. He is blocked 100 percent of the time. He is double teamed atleast half of the snaps and he still makes a huge impact because of his strenght and athleticism. He is the leader in tackles and the leader of the defense in the number one scoring defense in the nation. Bottom line- the impact that eric norwood has doesnt even come close to Suh's impact as a defensive tackle. He is disruptive in almost every play weather it is pullling a double team towards him to open up another defensive tackle or a hurry of a quarter back. playing offense. making a tackle for a loss. deflecting a pass. sacking the qb....intercepting the ball...returning the interception for a touchdown...scoring a touchdown on offense...forcing a fumble...bottom line he is the most disruptive defensive player in the nation...id like to see norwood even attempt to do what suh does at 300 pounds
thisisdavidtodd
Elmwood , NE
Total Comments (1)
I would point out that Norwood also has a blocked punt and a blocked field goal - something you would expect more from a DT than a LB. Also, Norwood plays both defensive end and linebacker, depending on what is needed and to move him around. I watched Suh last night...and he's good...I guess its really hard to compare the two based on the difference in position. However, the effect that Suh has on the inside running game mirrors the effect Norwood has on the outside when he's playing the end position
Rainking0001
Columbia , SC
Total Comments (4)
I would still pick Norwood over Suh, and I'm really trying to be unbiased.
Rainking0001
Columbia , SC
Total Comments (4)
Says the guy from Columbia, SC.
PcolaSoonerFan
Total Comments (38)
That was the point of the statement...
Rainking0001
Columbia , SC
Total Comments (4)
Comment
Remember to keep your posts clean. Profanity will get filtered, and offensive comments will be removed.