In his first televised interview since the Lions’ season ended in New Orleans Saturday, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh told ABC’s Diane Sawyer why he stepped on Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith during the teams’ Thanksgiving game.
“After every play, I’d be walking back to the huddle and I’d keep hearing this soft ‘Su-su-sudio’ singing,” said Suh. “At first I didn’t know what it was, but in the huddle Kyle Vanden Bosche told me it was by that guy that sings that ‘I can feel it coming in the air tonight’ song with the cool drum sound. It seemed like every Packer was singing it to me as I’d walk by.”
Suh said he was just going to let it go because he hears trash talk all the time, but he found himself starting to sing the song to himself while waiting for Aaron Rodgers to finish his snap count.
“When I met with Mr. Goodell in New York, he gave me some strategies I could use to not let things get to me,” Suh said of his much publicized meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “He never said anything about getting ’80s pop tunes out of my head. The thing is, I didn’t know any of the rest of the words, and it was really bugging me.”
On the play in question, Suh can be seen shaking the helmet of the Packer lineman just before he stomps on Dietrich-Smith’s arm.
“I was trying to get him to tell me at least the first verse,” Suh said. “I knew he knew the words. Then as I was getting up he said something like ‘Why don’t you look them up yourself?’ and I just snapped. I thought I had earned some respect. This is my second year in the league.”
Suh said he has learned from his various brushes with the league discipline office, and he doesn’t expect to find himself on the wrong end of the law again.
“I’ll tell you one thing I’ve learned. That wasn’t even his best song. I tear up every time I hear ‘Against All Odds.'”
