Ndamukong Suh is a former NFL All-Pro defensive tackle known for his physical dominance and the disruptive edge he brought to the game. His reputation as an enforcer stemmed from his ability to consistently impact the line of scrimmage and bully his opponents.
That said, Suh, who was once named the NFL’s dirtiest and least-liked player, hinted that his 4-year-old twin sons, who were born into wealth and not the circumstances that their dad thrived in, might not have the edge to play in the trenches.
“Absolutely not!” Suh quipped once asked if Kingston and Khari, who are big for their age, would follow in his footsteps.
“You just have to have a mentality and a grind to you and you’ve got to be a little off to play football,” Suh said on “The Rich Eisen Show” this month. “... I’m not saying my boys don’t have that and won’t have that in their future, but it’s not something that I am going to push on them by any means.”
While the last name, Suh, makes fans think of football, other sports run in the family, the 2010 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year said.
“Selfishly, we love basketball. We’ve got family that are head coaches in the NBA and coaches all over the league that we love being in and around. They love the game, and I love soccer. I grew up around it. My dad would be elated if they were soccer players and played in the EPL.”
Suh, who won Super Bowl LV with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, retired from the NFL on July 12, the one-year anniversary of his father’s death.
Suh played 13 seasons in the NFL, last appearing in the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, who lost to quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023.
It remains to be seen if Suh’s sons can match or surpass his accolades.
“Ultimately, it’s their decision, but they would have to beg me to play football,” Suh said.
Todderick Hunt covers Sports and Culture and Recruiting. Have a story idea or a tip? He can be reached atthunt@njadvancemedia.com.
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