In light of his most recent fining and often being described as "a dirty player," Ndamukong Suh said he is trying to clean up his act in order to clear his reputation after conduct on the field that he said has "tainted him."
This season alone, Suh has been the recipient of $139,375 worth of fines by the league for violations he's mounted on the field. Since coming into the league in 2010, Suh has been fined eight times and suspended for two games. He's earned the rep because of several instances of misconduct, including once stomping on the arm of Green Bay Packers center Evan Dietrich-Smith.
"It's obviously tainted me and given me a bad rep, and well-deserved in that instance, but I don't think one moment in somebody's life is going to define them," Suh said during an appearance on XM NFL Radio, according to CBS Sports. "I've vowed, not only to myself personally, but to my family and my teammates and coaches not to have that happen again and not have situations like that that's going to hurt them or make them feel that they can't be proud of me or want me as a teammate."
Suh also called upon people to be unbiased when looking at the legacy he's left and will continue to work on during his career.
"That's one thing that I just hope and wish people have the opportunity and take the light to be unbiased and really kind of take a look at my track record and not define me by one instance and one mistake in my life that I've had," he told the program.
Suh also said that he believes he has matured since he first broke into the league four seasons ago.
"I think I've definitely grown up quite a bit just understanding that if you're not growing up, you're just moving backward," Suh said on the radio show. I'm a person that always wants to move forward, always want to grow and learn and not be the smartest person in the room, because when you're not the smartest person in the room, you're always learning things. I'm a learner. That's how I got to where I am now."
Suh was recently fined for a "throat-slashing" gesture during the Lions 40-10 defeat of the Packers on Thanksgiving that had him once again emptying his bank accounts to the tune of $7,875
In October, Suh said that he was taking strides towards playing the game the right way.
"I feel like I'm playing within the rules for the most part, without a doubt," Suh said per CBS Sports.. "I think every defensive player, the game is so fast, so quick you can't be 100 percent right on one assignment and that's what you have the athletic ability to make up for those things."
For Suh to be completely exonerated of his perception of being a "dirty player," he first must stop breaking the rules and accumulating fines.
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