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Ndamukong Suh – July 27, 2017 Download PDF version

Thursday, July 27, 2017

DT Ndamukong Suh

(Does training camp feel any different when you come off a playoff season?) – “No. It’s back to the basics. That’s how I look at it; that’s how I approach it. Obviously, to be able to have the opportunity to build off of some of the good things you did last year, but it’s back to the basics. You have to forget about the previous year and prepare for the upcoming year.”

(Expectations, they have to be a little different this year?) – “Expectations? I’m not talking about them just yet. We have to get into the season first. Maybe after we get a third preseason game, that’s where we get a true test of what we have to some extent. A lot of guys only play half a game at most, but it’s way too early to talk about expectations.”

(Being a leader on the defensive side of the ball when you step out on the field, I’m sure the defense gets a boost from that. Do you notice it as a leader with C Mike Pouncey being out there for the offense?) – “Without question. I’m very happy to see Pouncey back. He has obviously got the ‘it’ factor, and he brings a lot to the table. I love going against him, love learning (from him), as well as (Jermon) Bushrod and guys like that, that are veterans and the young guys, because they push you, they’re going hard and vice versa. It’s definitely a good thing to have everybody out there and everybody pushing each other to get better. But like I said, we’re at the basics, so we have to get back to the fundamentals.”

(Does the first day of camp feel any different as you keep progressing in your career?) – “No, because I try to approach it like I’m a rookie – make sure I get my fundamentals down, footwork. Obviously as we get into the situation that we like to run – red zone, whatever it may be – as we started with today, you work on and add things to your game.”

(Does it feel like the first day when you have all these OTAs and minicamps? Does it still feel like the first day?) – “It definitely feels good. It’s without question the first day. It’s just excitement to be back on the football field. Obviously, soon we’re going to get pads on, which is probably the most exciting time of the year and then go from there.”

(It’s the second year with this new staff. Does that help at all the familiarity with them, the protocol, all that?) – “No question. I think – without question – having the similar staff, even though we have some changes, some new additions, it’s a great feeling to know what you’re running. We’ve put – if I’m not mistaken – our defense in three or four times between the first couple phases of OTAs and obviously minicamp and all those things. Right now, it’s refreshing with those pieces and being able to get off to the races.”

(We’re not going to get a true sense of rookies until pads are on, but is there a skill you see from DT Davon Godchaux that you think is an NFL caliber skill being around him?) – “His ability to understand details is something that I’m very surprised with, especially at a young age. For him being able to pick up on those and implement them into practice … because the biggest thing that we preach is being able to take and translate the stuff that we work on in individual and take that to team periods. As you get older, veterans are a lot easier to do that. Young guys struggle a little bit. They forget that real bullets are flying. They kind of forget about those things, but Godchaux has done a pretty good job being able to translate that.”

(DT Jordan Phillips has talked about wanting to raise his game to a more consistent level? We’re not going to know until September, October. Do you see any difference in him this offseason, as much time as you spend around him helping mentor him?) – “I think he’s focused, and I think he has an opportunity to prove a lot of people wrong. I think at the end of the day, like you said, it’s going to come down to when we start playing real games and live bullets; but obviously he has the ability to get to where he wants to be.”

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