“Villain, Pretty Boy & All-Star”: NFL Veteran Assigns One Adjective Each to Peyton Manning, Tom Brady & Himself

A story is never complete without the induction of the antagonist. In a perfect pro-football fairy tale, the knight in shining armor finds its representation through Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes. But the role of the villain is best enacted by a 6 ft 4 in, 313 lb beast of a defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh. 

Following his stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, the ‘most hated player in the NFL’ is looking forward to some fresh on-field action this season. Hailed as one of the most distinguished defenders of the past two decades, he is seen peeling back the layers to unveil the person behind the face mask. 

Five-time Pro Bowler explains why “you’ve got to have the villain”

Opening up about being represented on the villainous side of affairs, Ndamukong Suh discloses how the media often plays a pivotal role in image formation for players. “I started to learn, man, (the media) need to have hot stories and they need to have people to talk about,” said the free agent. “They also need to have the pretty boy in Tom Brady, the All-Star in Peyton Manning and you’ve got to have the villain.”

Identifying himself as one of the “villains that fit in perfectly” in the NFL picture, he went on to discuss how it was an integral part of his job. His job was to be aggressive and fearful. “For me, you’re not supposed to like me. And I’m not doing my job if you do like me.”

Typecast as the typical NFL villain with 600 career tackles, 71.5 sacks, and three Super Bowl appearances, he no longer shies away from expressing his genuine opinions. He played closely with Tom Brady during his Super Bowl-winning matches and provided crucial anecdotes of his character as a teammate. Discussing Brady and his gameplay, Suh reminisced about Tampa Bay‘s 2020 season, a season that began with turmoil and uncertainty but culminated in a resounding 31-9 triumph against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

Ndamukong Suh decodes Brady’s gameplay 

The 36-year-old defensive tackle described Brady as a “great teammate.” Popularly regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady was not only putting out his personal best each time he hit the field. But was also capable of deducing the best out of his teammates. He fit into the system seamlessly and bought out the best results as a united whole. 

“I see why he’s so good, just because of his work ethic and the things that he builds himself off, and that mindset and focus,” Suh said, referring to the seven-time Super Bowl champ’s mindset and gameplay. He, like Brady, was able to identify a very crucial aspect of playing football, “you’re only as good as the people around you.” 

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Football is a team sport and is not meant for individual gameplay. Every player is part of a bigger system and plays a crucial role. The 13-year veteran reestablishes the profound importance of teamwork. Saying that a team will always end up playing an average game and, “It’s not because of our talent. It’s because we haven’t come together as a unit and stopped being selfish.”

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