Ndamukong Suh

Star Bio

Ndamukong Suh was born on January 6th, 1987 to a Jamaican mother, Bernadette, and a Cameroonian father, Michael. In the Ngema tribe in Cameroon, Ndamukong means "House of Spears." At Grant High School in Portland, Suh was a two-way star on the football team, earning Parade Magazine All-American honors and Portland Interscholastic League Defensive Player of the Year.

Considered among the nation's best defensive tackle prospects, he chose to attend the University of Nebraska to study Engineering. During his junior year at Nebraska, he was the first Nebraska defensive lineman to lead the team in tackles since 1973. In 2009, his senior year, he registered 82 tackles, 12 sacks and helped lead the Cornhuskers to the top ranking scoring defense in the nation – yielding only 10.4 points per game. Upon his graduation, Suh donated $2.6 million to the University of Nebraska, including $600K towards an endowed engineering scholarship.

In the 2010 NFL draft, he was selected second overall by the Detroit Lions. His rare combination of strength, agility and speed made him an instant force in the NFL. He was selected "Rookie of the Year" and named to the NFL's All-Pro team. Suh was also voted a Pro-Bowl starter, which was the first time for a rookie defensive player in NFL history. In 2011 he helped lead the Detroit Lions to their first playoff appearance since 1999. After the 2012 season, he was named to the NFL's All-Pro team, and will represent the NFC in the Pro Bowl for his second time in three seasons.

In addition to making an to making an impact on the field, Suh has made his presence felt in the local community, including partnering with the Detroit Medical Center and adopting a school in Cameroon, Africa, through his foundation, The Suh Family Foundation.