Ndamukong Suh Quotes

Powerful Ndamukong Suh for Daily Growth

About Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh, born on January 6, 1987, in Houston, Texas, is not only a renowned American football defensive tackle but also an author and philanthropist. His unique journey, marked by resilience, determination, and a commitment to education, has made him an inspiration both on and off the field. Born to Nigerian parents who were university graduates, Suh was raised with a strong emphasis on education. He demonstrated exceptional athletic prowess from a young age, which led him to gridiron success at Grant Union High School in California. His college career began at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before transferring to the University of Oklahoma, where he earned All-American honors and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year title. In the 2010 NFL Draft, Suh was selected second overall by the Detroit Lions, a testament to his talents. He has played for several teams including the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, and most recently, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won the Super Bowl LV in 2021. Suh's passion extends beyond sports. In 2020, he released his first children's book, "The Little Shepherd Who Couldn't Wait," aiming to inspire young readers with a story about patience and perseverance. He also established the Ndamukong Suh Family Foundation, focusing on education and youth development initiatives in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and his native Nigeria. Throughout his career, Suh has been recognized for his philanthropic efforts, receiving the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2016. His life story exemplifies the power of dreams, hard work, and giving back to one's community, making him a beacon of inspiration for many.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I'm not perfect, but I never stop trying to get better."

This quote emphasizes that even though Ndamukong Suh recognizes his imperfections, he is committed to continuous self-improvement. It suggests a growth mindset where one acknowledges their current state while striving for self-betterment rather than being complacent or content with the status quo. The quote underscores resilience, determination, and a willingness to learn from mistakes and take steps toward personal progress.


"The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary."

This quote by Ndamukong Suh emphasizes that success does not happen without hard work; it's merely a concept defined in relation to effort, dedication, and persistence. In other words, success is the outcome of consistent and diligent work, not something that can be achieved easily or quickly without putting in the necessary time and effort. The dictionary definition only suggests this connection between success and work, but in real life, it is the hard work that precedes and ultimately leads to any kind of achievement or triumph.


"Every day you have an opportunity to be great or be average. Choose to be great."

The quote highlights that every day presents a choice between mediocrity and greatness, emphasizing personal responsibility for one's actions and growth. It encourages individuals to actively strive for excellence rather than settling for an ordinary or average life, reminding us of the power we have to shape our own destiny through consistent effort and determination.


"A lot of times adversity builds character, and that's a good thing."

This quote by Ndamukong Suh suggests that hardship or adversity can play a crucial role in shaping one's character, fostering resilience, strength, and personal growth. Adversity, rather than being seen as a negative experience, is presented here as an opportunity for positive development and character building. It emphasizes the idea that overcoming challenges can lead to a deeper understanding of oneself and a strengthening of one's character, ultimately resulting in personal growth.


"It's all about having the right mindset and working hard every single day. If you don't believe in yourself, it's going to be a long road."

This quote emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive, determined mindset in the pursuit of personal success or achievement. The phrase "all about having the right mindset" suggests that having a strong belief in oneself is crucial for overcoming challenges and reaching goals. "Working hard every single day" underscores the necessity of consistent effort and dedication to progress. If one lacks self-belief, the journey may be prolonged as they face obstacles without the necessary confidence and resilience to push through them. In essence, this quote encourages individuals to trust in themselves and put forth consistent effort to overcome challenges on their path to success.


Defensive players kind of have that two-faced kind of way of being able to be very aggressive on the football field and going out there and getting there job done. At the same time, from my own incidents and my own personality, I'm much a person that's very likable and lovable.

- Ndamukong Suh

Own, Very, Football Field, My Own

A lot of players have told me they see me as a protector of my teammates, that, side by side, I'm there when something goes down, and I step up beside them and for them when things get nasty. I play the game hard, and I play it physical.

- Ndamukong Suh

Game, Play, Protector, Nasty

Football is a violent sport. Somebody's going to get hurt. It's the game. Just hopefully, you're on the good side of it.

- Ndamukong Suh

Game, Violent, Side, Hurt

A dirty player is somebody who ultimately is trying to hurt somebody. There's a huge difference. 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.

- Ndamukong Suh

Anger, Play, Conscience, Hurt

A great guy who is no longer in the league right now who is retired, Kyle Vanden Bosch, I learned a lot from him, and I owe him a lot for my success in the NFL.

- Ndamukong Suh

Great Guy, Learned, League, Kyle

It's not the norm, I guess, to see someone as aggressive as me being more or less very athletic. You see me running, having a big, violent hit, it's going to look bad, but that's the natural ability I've been given. Why would I let it run to the wayside and not use it?

- Ndamukong Suh

Big, Violent, Very, Aggressive

If you find my aggressive and dominating play dirty, then that's your opinion. But I would assume most people want someone who is going to do anything and everything within the lines to win for their team, because I know I would.

- Ndamukong Suh

Play, Anything, Your, Aggressive

Coach Cunningham's my guy. Without me saying a word, he can read my body language and facial expressions and tell me exactly what I'm thinking and feeling. We're actually very similar people.

- Ndamukong Suh

Tell, Guy, Very, Expressions

Growing up, I always thought of Detroit as a basketball town because of the Pistons, but everyone says it's really, at its core, a football town.

- Ndamukong Suh

Thought, Always, Town, Detroit

Outside of my parents, it's my older sister, Ngum. She lives with me in Detroit and helps me with my day-to-day stuff. She's somebody I've always looked up to. When she was leaving high school and going to college, I wanted to follow in her footsteps.

- Ndamukong Suh

College, High, Older Sister, Detroit

Coach Bo Pelini and coach Carl Pelini are two coaches I talk to on a regular basis, especially coach Bo. They are coaches I feel elevated my game.

- Ndamukong Suh

Game, Feel, I Feel, Elevated

I remember watching Barry Sanders highlights as a kid, and the Lions always being a fun team. I, personally, really never had a real negative connotation with the team. And I didn't really listen to those who did after I was drafted.

- Ndamukong Suh

Kid, I Remember, Connotation, Highlights

I'm a storyline. I'm the chosen one for negative stories and controversial things. If I worried about it all, I would go insane.

- Ndamukong Suh

Go, Stories, About, Storyline

Mondays I sleep. I go in at ten, do my lift, watch the game from the day before. Tuesday is off, but I go in, lift, watch film. Then I have French toast with my sister.

- Ndamukong Suh

Game, Go, Before, Tuesday

I was a defensive lineman coming out of high school who was considered amongst the top... maybe the top six guys, top five guys, and wanted to prove to my team that I was going to be a top guy going into college.

- Ndamukong Suh

College, Prove, Six, Defensive

The players who said I am the dirtiest player in the league, it's ultimately their opinion, but I would love to hear from many of them on their true opinion on that.

- Ndamukong Suh

Love, Players, League, Dirtiest

I think it's very, very tough to compare postseason and in-season, just for the simple fact that there's the heightened levels of energy on both sides of the ball.

- Ndamukong Suh

Think, Very, Compare, Levels

My job is to defeat the guy in front of me, do it until he quits, and then wait for them to send in the next guy.

- Ndamukong Suh

Wait, Next, Guy, Send

I definitely see myself as a leader. One of the ways I've been lucky enough to lead and likely to continue to lead is just my actions and the way that I approach the game and working hard and being a player that steps up in big-time situations when plays need to be made.

- Ndamukong Suh

Leader, Lucky, Been, Working Hard

Really, you just play football; that's all I can do... I don't change. I'm going to always play tough, hard - that's the way I was brought up at Nebraska, where I really learned football from the Pelinis and that staff and continue to play hard, play blue-collar football.

- Ndamukong Suh

Play, I Can, Brought, Nebraska

I guess I'm a fun-loving teddy bear. I've got two sides to me. Obviously, there's the football side that a lot of people see - the mean, ferocious, coming-after-the-quarterback guy. But off the field, I'm a calm, cool, collected guy.

- Ndamukong Suh

Guy, Ferocious, Collected, Teddy

Just understanding that if you're not growing up, you're just moving backwards, and I'm a person that I always want to grow and learn and not be the smartest person in the room, because when you're not the smartest person in the room, you're always learning things.

- Ndamukong Suh

Learn, Grow, Always, Smartest

The game of football, especially in the NFL, is all about situations, and coming out on the big end of that stick.

- Ndamukong Suh

Game, Big, NFL, Situations

You learn from your mistakes, or you go backward. I'm the kind of person who wants to move forward.

- Ndamukong Suh

Learn, Kind, Move, Move Forward

A couple of my teammates have the rare Ford F650 Super Truck, and they're kitted out with everything - even flat-screen TVs for movies and video-game systems in the back.

- Ndamukong Suh

Truck, Back, Couple, Teammates

For whatever reason, Coach Schwartz and I weren't all that close at first. We didn't have that kind of relationship, really. I don't know why, maybe because I was a rookie, but I never felt real comfortable just popping my head in his office and sitting down to talk.

- Ndamukong Suh

Reason, Maybe, Popping, Coach

I wish that people had an opportunity to watch me 24/7, like on 'Big Brother.' You'd see a person who is quiet and reserved and very analytical - a huge observer.

- Ndamukong Suh

Big, Big Brother, Very, Observer

I think any football is a guy that is able to one, be able to be humble and hungry off the field, but at the same time on the football field understand what they have to get done and be a little bit ferocious.

- Ndamukong Suh

Humble, Think, I Think, Football

I definitely want to be known as an educated person as well as being a good football player.

- Ndamukong Suh

Educated, Definitely, Known, Football Player

You continue to build and work on new things, and continue to beat offensive linemen, week in and week out.

- Ndamukong Suh

Week, New, Offensive, Beat

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.