He's routinely described as one of the most physically dominating performers in the NFL, a game-controlling defensive lineman. But listen to Ndamukong Suh analyze himself, and he leaves the distinct impression -- perhaps it's a warning -- that we haven't seen anything yet.
"I have a lot of progress ahead of me," he said. "I have to get better, simple as that. I have to continue to play at a higher level and kind of go from there."
And where might that be?
"The sky's the limit," he said. "The universe is the limit."
Maybe it was a rare moment of refreshing candor for a premier athlete to reveal a layer of humility like that. Then again, a cynic might suggest he should have had a host from the "Home Shopping Network" at his side, for his comments could be taken as a sales pitch to 31 other teams in the league who could sign him after the season -- for the mammoth price he expects to command.
"Still at this point, I think I have a lot growth," Suh said. "I wouldn't say I'm happy, but I like some things that I've done in the past and things that I've done over the 12 games (this season). But if I could go back through, there's definitely holes that I could pick up on and fill those in and play better."
Call it another step in the transformation of the player and the man.
Without question Suh has had a good season to date with 4.5 sacks. When he's not putting a quarterback on his back, he's occupying two opponents, which creates opportunities for his defensive teammates like Ziggy Ansah, who leads the team with 6.5 sacks.
It's Suh's unique way of making the players around him a little better.
More important, perhaps, he made it through a Thanksgiving game without embarrassing himself in front of a national audience -- the biggest viewing audience Detroit draws each year -- as he had done the previous two years. Stomp to an opponent's head one year, kick to the groin of another the next, horrifying viewers.
Frequently described as aloof around the locker room, Suh has been yucking it up with teammates these days, getting them silly outfits to pose for holiday photos.
No PR problem here. Seriously.
Though he didn't say it, self-discipline might have been one of those "holes" he's been working to fill. He'll be 28 in a month. Some of us take a little longer to mature. But he's also a very smart man, a savvy businessman who knows how important a player's reputation -- on and off the field -- comes into play at contract time. Especially with other teams.
Like it or not, as much as every team would love to have him, he's the kind of guy teams discuss with dressing-room leaders on how he might or might not fit in. That's a liability he appears to be working to overcome.
Meantime, as candid as he was, Suh picked his spots carefully when he was peppered with questions at Lions practice Wednesday. He declined comment on the seven-year contract that could be worth as much as $98 million signed by Gerald McCoy. He and Suh have been joined at the hip since the 2010 NFL draft, when the Lions selected Suh out of Nebraska with the second overall pick, and McCoy went third out of Oklahoma to Tampa, which comes to town Sunday. Their careers have mirrored one another for the past five years, with Suh holding a slight on-field performance edge.
McCoy's contract provided him $51.5 million guaranteed, the most ever given to a defensive tackle in the NFL. At least until Suh, the all-time Lions leader in sacks (32) for an interior lineman, signs his next deal.
But back to this work in progress, as Suh is describing himself these days.
Finding flaws in their game and understanding how they can keep improving is a common trait among the NFL's better players, safety Glover Quin said when told of Suh's self-analysis.
"A great player doesn't look at the film and say, 'Man, I'm a great player,'" Quin said. "They look at it and see things that make them ask, 'How could I have been better.' If you're at a point when you're saying you can't get any better, then you're probably ready to retire."
Quin cautioned that in his view there are few truly great players throughout the NFL today, though if Suh continues to play as he has, and improve, he might be one of them.
"If he wanted to be the greatest defensive tackle in the history of the game, he can do it," Quin said. "He can be as great as he wants to be."
