Suh begins to ponder NFL legacy
Dolphins DT wants to play many more years at ‘very, very high level.’
DAVIE — It’s usually difficult to get much out of Ndamukong Suh, especially during the ultra-serious climate of the regular season, and he’s remained fairly mysterious for someone who’s been famous this long.
But over the past month of the offseason, Suh has been more willing to reflect and provide a glimpse of what truly matters to him at this stage of his career. The highest of those ambitions, at least football-wise, is to earn a place in the Hall of Fame. While few would question that he’s headed in the right direction, Suh doesn’t see it that way yet.
He aspires to be counted among the true greats, which to him are Reggie White and Warren Sapp. Eight seasons into his career, he believes he’s not on their level yet.
“I still have a lot of work ahead of myself,” he said, contemplating what his legacy might be when he’s done. “One of the things that I would want for people to recognize from me is you have to know where I am at on the football field at all times. If you don’t, then I should be causing havoc. And even if you do, I still want to cause havoc.”
How much more havoc does Suh have left in him? Based on last season, the answer seems to be a lot.
He’s hitting a point of his career, at 30, where he’s old enough to ponder his Hall of Fame candidacy — “I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t,” he admitted — yet young enough to still be in his prime.
In the face of constant doubleand triple-teams, he put up 72 tackles, five sacks and six pass breakups while earning his fifth Pro Bowl selection. Additionally impressive, he withstood beating up his body to stay on the field for 85 percent of Miami’s defensive snaps.
The process to do that again starts Monday. Suh will allow himself a three-day rest after the Dolphins finish minicamp before launching “five strenuous weeks” of workouts in his hometown of Portland, Ore., leading up to training camp.
That regimen, which Suh likes to keep secret, is one reason he envisions dominating for many more years. When he contemplates how much longer he wants to play, the question of whether his body can survive the beatings doesn’t enter the equation. “I think I’m built for it,” he said, and that’s probably true at 6-foot4, 304 pounds. He’s started 110 out of a possible 112 games since entering the NFL in 2010.
“I remember guys — Kyle Vanden Bosch, Corey Williams — being in their seventh and eighth years when I was a rookie and how they approached it,” he said. “They really took it day by day, focused on what they needed to take care of in that particular moment. That’s kind of how my approach has been.
“Obviously, I want to continue to play at a very, very high level. I’m in tune with what I need to get done right now, and let the years to come to worry about themselves.”
Surgery for ex-Dolphin Jordan: Dion Jordan, the biggest draft bust in Dolphins history, won’t be making his comeback anytime soon.
Miami released him this spring after four empty seasons, and he landed with the Seahawks, hoping to make their roster. That process isn’t off to a good start. He has yet to take the field for Organized Team Activities or minicamp.
According to Seattle coach Pete Carroll, Jordan underwent additional knee surgery after signing in April. There’s now concern about whether he’ll be available when training camp opens next month.
“We were fixing what happened before,” Carroll told reporters. “He didn’t get hurt here. He came to us needing a clean-up on his knee. He didn’t know that at the time. We uncovered it.”
Jordan, 27, was the No. 3 overall pick of the 2013 draft. He’s played 26 career games, the last being in 2014.