Suh a nice guy? Bears’ Bennett says yes
Ndamukong Suh’s extracurricular antics of have drawn the ire of opponents and the attention of the league, which has fined the Lions’ Pro Bowl defensive tackle $342,500 over his career.
That includes his one-game suspension in 2011 for stomping on Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith, and the $15,000 he was docked for shoving Bears quarterback Jay Cutler from behind a year earlier.
But Bears tight end Martellus Bennett says Suh is a “nice guy.”
“I like him,” Bennett said. “I’ve met him a couple times in person. He’s interesting. I don’t think about him often. I think about him this week when I play against him, but the couple times we met in passing was pretty cool.”
Cutler’s not so sure.
“Marty says everybody’s a nice guy,” Cutler said. “Maybe he is. I’m not saying he isn’t.”
But Cutler hasn’t conversed with Suh other than to exchange unpleasantries.
“I’ve never talked to the guy besides the few choice words on the field,” Cutler said. “Other than that, I don’t know him. I don’t talk to him.”
Bears coach Marc Trestman wouldn’t be drawn into any discussions about Suh’s reputation other than as a football player.
“I just worry about our guys doing their job and staying focused on what they have to do and not get caught up in things that we can’t control,” he said. “This man is a very good football player, and he plays from start to finish. That’s what we’re concerned about.
“He’s one of the difference makers on their team, and that’s where our focus is.”
The Bears will double-team Suh as much as possible, but guards Matt Slauson and Kyle Long will each have to battle him man-to-man several times this afternoon.
“It’s not easy for one man to block him,” Trestman said. “We’ve got to give (Slauson or Long) help when we can. Sometimes we can do it with the back. It’s just a combination of things.
“And then you can help with play selection: running the football, moving the quarterback, making it a little more difficult in terms of where Jay is going to be, and throwing the ball quickly.”
Suh has been voted as the dirtiest player in the league by his contemporaries, but not by Bennett.
“You could say anybody’s a dirty player if they do something to you you don’t like one time in a game,” Bennett said. “I don’t think he’s dirty; I think he plays hard and with a lot of passion.
“I think he’s explosive. I think he’s one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. He’s just somebody you have to deal with the whole game. He plays hard, and you have to respect a player that plays like he does every single play.”