Ndamukong Suh fined $100,000 for illegal block Dave Birkett, USA TODAY Sports 5:46 p.m. EDT September 10, 2013
DETROIT — Ndamukong Suh was fined $100,000 today for his low block on Minnesota Vikings center John Sullivan on Sunday, but the Detroit Lions all-pro defensive tackle avoided the second suspension of his career.
The fine, the sixth of Suh's career, is one of the largest in league history.
Suh was not available for comment in the locker room today, but teammates said he apologized for the play, which negated DeAndre Levy's interception return for a touchdown, in a team meeting this morning.
"He just basically said that he can't make those type of mistakes and he can't put us in the position where we've got to battle back from mistakes like that," receiver Nate Burleson said. "And he also said with him having a target and people looking for him, they're looking at us in the same light. So as a team we've got to understand that the microscope is on us."
After Suh finished talking, Burleson said a few players screamed out, "We love you Suh."
"We're a family," Burleson said. "I think we hugged and kissed after that, sang kumbaya. It's all good, baby."
But for all their support, teammates won't be chipping in to pay off a fine that sent shock waves through the locker room for its largesse.
When told how much Suh was fined, Burleson leaned back in shock.
"Oh, baby," he said. "For real? Are you serious? A hundred stacks? No, there's not much love in the world, man. I'll send him a card on Valentine's Day, but I don't love him that much (to chip in)."
An NFL official said Monday the league was considering suspending Suh for the block because he's considered a repeat violator of player-safety rules.
Suh was suspended two games for stomping on the arm of Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith on Thanksgiving in 2011, and he was fined five times in his first three NFL seasons.
As a rookie, Suh was fined twice for hits on quarterbacks Jake Delhomme ($7,500) and Jay Cutler ($15,000) and once for using an opponent for leverage on a field goal ($5,000). In 2011, he was docked $20,000 for a preseason hit on Andy Dalton. And last year, Suh was fined $30,000 for kicking Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the groin on Thanksgiving.
By levying a six-figure punishment today, the league sent a clear message that further violations likely will lead to a suspension.
"He's a teammate of ours and he's a great player, a guy that besides that play wrecked the game for the Vikings," Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "He was in the backfield the whole game, caused a pick when (Stephen Tulloch) got his pick. He did a great job, played a great game. It's unfortunate that that had to happen and it kind of overshadowed his performance, but we stick with him. He's a guy that's an integral part of our team and a great player on defense and hopefully we can put this behind us and just move on."
Including today's fine, Suh has lost more than $342,000 in fines and missed game checks due to player-safety violations. He's made more than $51.7 million in his career from the Lions so far.
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for his role in the 2007 spygate scandal, and Ray Lewis was fined $250,000 for lying to police after a 2000 double murder.
Birkett writes for the Detroit Free Press, a Gannett property
_________________ The Hawk wrote: There is not a damned thing wrong with people who are bull shitters.
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