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Suh on the talk that has surrounded last Friday's personal foul penalty

Posted Aug 17, 2011


The fire that is Ndamukong Suh's take down of quarterback Andy Dalton won't die.

The play led to a 15-yard personal foul penalty and has sparked discussions around the league questioning whether Suh is a "dirty player."

Suh vehemently opposes that label and insists that he isn't going to stop playing hard.

"I owe it to my fans, I owe it to my teammates, I owe it to my coaches," said Suh. "It's one of the reasons why football is football because it's physical ... aggression that is made exciting."

Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham believes Suh is receiving so much attention because the force with which he hits opponent quarterbacks is unlike any that has been seen in quite awhile ... if ever.

"They’ve never seen a tackle like this," said Cunningham.

"I’ve got news for them: (Fairley), when he gets well, he’s close to Ndamukong. Fairley is a fine, fine athlete. What’s happening is they’re getting 300-pounders in this league that can run like defensive ends and they’re going to make plays that other guys can’t make."

Looking at the plays Suh can make in real time would cause a predicament for any NFL official.

Watching a slowed-down replay, it is easier to pick apart whether the play was legal or not.

"I really feel that I put the refs in a tough situation because of my strength," said Suh.

"A lot of us players are growing up and coming (into the NFL) and we’re getting faster and stronger. Some guys have incredible strength on the football field so I feel like we put them in tough situations with the new rules and (the emphasis) on safety."

The attention Suh has received won't change the Detroit Lions one bit.

Suh intends to continue playing the way he has always played, knowing that there will be some calls that won't be in his favor.

"They have to make the right judgment and I’m not going to fault them for making a call when they’re erring on the safer side because safety is important," he said.

Of the penalized play, Cunningham said there were two players on Suh and he beat them both "clean as a whistle."

"He felt like he had the tackle and the quarterback had the ball in his hand and that was it," said Cunningham. "He took him down and that’s what he was supposed to do. There’s no malicious intent on any of that. If you ever talk to him man-to-man, you’ll find that out."

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