Ndamukong Suh apologizes, thumbs nose at critics

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh apologized Wednesday for skipping out on reporters after he put together one of his best performance this season by dismantling the Miami Dolphins.

"I apologize for not speaking to the media," he said. "I had something I had to deal with, so I apologize."

Suh also disclosed that he's an introvert. And, once again, he wouldn't talk about his future in Detroit past this year.

"My agent," Suh said. "You have to speak to him about it."

With his rookie contract voiding after this season, this could be the countdown to the end of Suh's career with the Lions. But Suh continues to steadfastly deflect questions about his future.

"I've always had fun here playing in Detroit and continue to have it," Suh said. "I look forward to continue to have fun with this team at all levels, whether that's with my defensive linemen, whether that's with the defense, whether that's with offensive players, it's always fun, joking and having fun. So being loose, I've always been, I'm always going to continue to be."

But Suh also discreetly thumbed his nose at those who criticized his decision to skip the team's voluntary off-season workouts. He said he refused to rub anyone's nose in it — but wouldn't mind a proxy.

"How about you just do that for me?" he told reporters. "I'm not that type of person, so you can do it for me. I won't do it.

"I have great confidence in the people that I work with, day in and day out; these coaches here that have set me up to be in a great situation and to play at a high level. So I let the actions speak. I've always been that, I've always said that to my defensive linemen: 'Actions speak louder than words.' "

But the criticism over Suh skipping the team's voluntary program wasn't about his work ethic and questions about proper preparation. It was about politics and perception. With Jim Caldwell beginning his tenure as the Lions' coach, Suh was conspicuous in his absence as the only healthy player who chose not to participate.

Suh has had another great season in his fifth year with the Lions. Caldwell said he wasn't surprised by Suh's success and defended his star player's off-season preparation.

"… Those of us here in the building didn't express the same kind of concern, I guess, that was swirling around out there publically," Caldwell said. "He is a true professional. He does everything he's supposed to be and he did everything he supposed to.

"He didn't break any rules. He was here when the rules say that he should be here, he was not here when the rules said he didn't have to be here."

There is, however, an unwritten rule in the NFL that encourages players to attend voluntary off-season programs. Without player attendance, those programs largely would become pointless.

But Caldwell refused to explain whether Suh was entitled to be an exception or if he would be fine with all of his players skipping the voluntary workouts and programs.

"I think we're in season now and not in OTAs," Caldwell said. "When we get to OTA's, let's talk about that."

The only problem there is that Suh might not have much relevance to that conversation if he's with another team next spring.

But the future — Suh's or anyone else's beyond this season — is a dead topic for a team that is trying as hard as possible to develop an acute case of myopia after last year's fantastic collapse.

"We have the chance to do something special (this year)," safety Glover Quin said. "Why would I waste any time thinking about, 'OK, well if Suh's not here next year.' Heck, I might not even be here next year. Who knows?"

So Suh and the Lions would prefer to focus on the here and now. And here and now, the Lions have the NFL's top-ranked defense led by one of the best defensive players in their franchise's history, even if Suh thinks the defense hasn't gotten enough credit.

"It's obviously great that we're winning games and being recognized a little bit, not much, for our defensive statistics and things of that nature," he said. "But as I said, in weeks past, we still have a long way ahead of us and we've still got a lot more work to get done."