Ndamukong Suh fires back at ‘Rodney’ White, Falcons (UPDATED)

Here's Ndamukong Suh grabbing Matt Ryan's facemask, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Here's Ndamukong Suh grabbing Matt Ryan's facemask, not that there's anything wrong with that.

(UPDATED: 10:40 p.m. with White comments.)

Please excuse Ndamukong Suh if he is not well-versed in what’s considered acceptable behavior for an NFL player. Turns out, he may not even know the names of many NFL players.

Suh, the Detroit Lions’ defensive tackle who reportedly taunted injured Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan Sunday, fired back Monday, telling Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press: “Do I need Rodney White’s respect? No. Leave it at that.”

In fairness to Suh, he’s right. He doesn’t need Rodney White’s respect, whoever Rodney White is. The assumption is he doesn’t care about earning Roddy White’s respect, either.

This all started Sunday when White,Todd McClure and other Falcons said they heard Suh, Cliff Avril and possibly other Detroit linemen taunting Ryan when he was lying on the field. One of White’s comments: “Like 92 [Avril] was kicking [Ryan’s] feet, saying, ‘Get him off the field.’ We don’t do stuff like that. We don’t rally over guys when they get hurt. It was just inappropriate behavior. I mean, [Suh said] ‘Get the cart’? Are you serious? Come on. When you compete, you never want to see a guy get hurt.”

Neither Avril nor Suh were available for comment after the game. Avril took to Twitter Sunday night to deny the accusations: “Come on. I’m not in the business of hurting not one guy on the field… I would never taunt anyone on an injury.”

Suh’s comments Monday came from Burkett’s Twitter site. He reaffirmed what most know — that he doesn’t seem to care what anybody thinks about him — and he also took a shot at Falcons’ offensive linemen. The comments:

Referring to the fact Ryan tripped over Falcons tackle Will Svitek:  “To me it’s karma. For all the bad stuff they’ve done in the past, their offensive lineman hurt their own QB. So I’ll leave it at that”

His quasi-denial: “I’m not even near their quarterback so how am I going to trash talk somebody that has a medical staff that’s all around him?”

The slap: “Do I need Rodney White’s respect? No. Leave it at that.”

He also called it, “He said/she said.” As Burkett noted, Suh never identified the “she.”

UPDATE: Here are some comments from White to the NFL Network, via ProFootballTalk.com:

“I mean I don’t really have much to say about what [Ndamukong Suh] said. I just know he’s going to say whatever he wants to say, but we know what they said. We were standing right there in the huddle, we saw when he went down and that’s before the medical staff got there that they said was in front of the play. . . .

“I know Suh said what he said. He said, ‘Go get the cart for him, get him out of here.’ He knows he said that and we’re not going to go back and forth about what he said-she said.  And then he’s going to say it was karma for what we’ve done in the past when their quarterback gets hurt on the last play of the game and they have an MRI today.”

OK, this is a he said/he said. But Suh had been gaining a negative reputation in the league even before Sunday. So if this is a credibility contest, he’s probably going to lose.

By Jeff Schultz

Follow me on Twitter (@JeffSchultzAJC). Friend me on Facebook (Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC).

407 comments Add your comment

Top Dawg

October 24th, 2011
6:51 pm

And Roddy White doesn’t need the respect of a boy named Suh either. So now.

Mr Charlie

October 24th, 2011
6:52 pm

Who cares what his QBR rating. You saw Ryans ankle bend backwards, miss 2 plays and come in and fire a bullet. That is a leader and and a winner.

Mr Charlie

October 24th, 2011
6:54 pm

What happened to Choke? He sure disappeared.

CGD..

October 24th, 2011
6:58 pm

I believe Choke is taking the day off. He lit up these blogs yesterday!!!! Pure entertainment!……lol

CGD..

October 24th, 2011
6:59 pm

He has to start winning the money games…Dont ya think?

Playoffs….PLAYOFFS…………………………

CGD..

October 24th, 2011
7:01 pm

Give Ryan credit! His flexibility is second to none!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

barn

October 24th, 2011
7:01 pm

So are the falcon players cowards or liars or alittle of both. Teammates don’t allow the things to happen that are being claimed if they are true. crybaby cowards is my take

Defense had a good day!

October 24th, 2011
7:02 pm

Yep, Choke disappeared! It amazes me how some people are on Ryan whether he is playing good or not. I really think that there are some people that are not going to respect ANY QB that doesn’t have Vick for a last name! It is a shame. I have been a Falcon fan since they became a franchise. I have been a fan of every QB we have had even though some were easier to watch than others. Ryan will be a good QB. Maybe not a Manning or a Brady buy he will be good.

CGD..

October 24th, 2011
7:03 pm

QBR counts when he operating in the money games and has to put it on his shoulders to pull out a victory! Accuracy is huge in the Playoffs…PLAYOFFS????

Mr Charlie

October 24th, 2011
7:04 pm

CGD, absolutely he needs to win some playoff games, and when he does, that won’t be good enough either, then it will be getting to Superbowl, and ask Jim Kelly how good it is to get to the superbowl and lose. So, I know he will need to win a Superbowl to make everyone happy. BUT, ask Payton Manning how fulfilling 1 SB is.

Bottom line, it is October, we just need to get to the playoffs right now.

Suh Who?

October 24th, 2011
7:05 pm

“To me it’s karma. For all the bad stuff they’ve done in the past, their offensive lineman hurt their own QB. So I’ll leave it at that”

and you’re QB is “day to day” thanks to our Defensive Line. You were saying something about karma?

CGD..

October 24th, 2011
7:09 pm

The reason why the Falcons have a lot of fair weather fans like myself is the fact that this Franchise has been operating for 46 years and giving us excuses…It long over due for this historic lousy Franchise to win the BIG ONE BABY!!!!!

New Orleans had only 7 winning seasons and they got one???????????????
I still am shocked by that……Incredible……..

How long Mr Blank???? 5-10-15-20-40-80 more years????????????

drmaryb .(*_*).

October 24th, 2011
7:11 pm

Pig Suhie!

“Just call Suh “Suhie Pig” – Raggy Doll ”
_________________

Raggy got it backwards – LOL!

Who was that little college coach that ran outa’ here in the middle of the season when Vick was doing “back-Flips” with Arthur Blank & Roger Goddell?

Yeah … Him. LOL!

dirtyfalconplayers

October 24th, 2011
7:11 pm

@CGD you are a fool PLAYOFFS!!!kmsl!!! The falcons are dirty players and liars just to get attention!!!! Yall are called dirty birds for a reason.Liars, Liars!!!!CRY BABIES!!!

Mr Charlie

October 24th, 2011
7:14 pm

CGD, I feel your pain, but this administration is better than anything we have ever had, at least we don’t have to start from scratch every 3 years. .

We at least have a reason to watch past week 8. I still can’t believe the freaking Ain’ts got one either. Once the tournament starts, it is a crapshoot, you can’t say you saw the rise of Green Bay, you just never know who is gonna get hot.

CGD..

October 24th, 2011
7:19 pm

Yea you got that right..I just knew Philly was going to spank GB @ home in that 1st playoff game last year! …….Guess thats why they play the games?

suh-da-fed

October 24th, 2011
7:20 pm

We won and have our bye week while their QB will be limited if he practices at all this week.

Shaquindoma Suh

October 24th, 2011
7:24 pm

I’m Suh’s pig brother. We came out of the same farrowing house. My mom’s a lazy Sow and dad’s a real Boar….

Mark Rich

October 24th, 2011
7:26 pm

I wish the Dawgs had Suh !

Meg Ryan

October 24th, 2011
7:28 pm

I’ve got Matty’s back !

Whaw!

October 24th, 2011
7:30 pm

WE WON! That’s all that matters…Bump this junk.

Baldy Eagles

October 24th, 2011
7:30 pm

Trent Dilfer,Brian Urlacher,Cojack,Mule Brenner,Brooks Conrad,Stone Cold Steve Austin all seperated at birth…

Tumbler21

October 24th, 2011
7:34 pm

I’m going to question the Falcons’ accusation of Suh & Avril’s taunts of Ryan. I have yet to see footage of them near Ryan as he was down. And if someone really pissed me off that much I would’ve popped him right then and there as opposed to being wimpy about it and taking it to the press afterwards. Man up and stand up for your QB as opposed to airing it out after the fact. I’m also sure more sh!t gets said in the heat of the battle too. What next? Someone hit me too hard is going to come out after the next game? Sure the Falcons won and they should walk away with that. This post game he said/ she said stuff is bush league at best. I’m appalled at the White & McClure accusations and just as equally appalled at Suh’s rebuttal- but I can understand Suh’s rebuttal a little easier because his reputation was on the line. If White or McClure wanted to handle it on the field and wanted to pop Suh, I wouldn’t have minded it at all. Man up and stand up for your team mate on the field- not in some post game press conference.

OldTimer

October 24th, 2011
7:49 pm

It seems to me the Falcons just got their mojo back.
We’ll see what happens from here.
I’ve got a feeling it will be quite impressive.

Matt "CHOKE" Ryan

October 24th, 2011
7:50 pm

Falcons stop acting like lying high school girls.

Delbert D.

October 24th, 2011
7:50 pm

Suh might be the first player to have a career-ending injury in the Pro Bowl.

Mr Charlie

October 24th, 2011
7:51 pm

I agree choke. They need to shuddup and play.

chad

October 24th, 2011
7:52 pm

You really believe the Lions were taunting Ryan. Did you see when Delmas knocked out one of Atlanta’s players how upset he was? Do you think for one minute if someone had kicked Matt Ryan, that a melee would have insued? There is no evidence of any of these accusations and for the media to run with it is despicable.

Jo

October 24th, 2011
7:52 pm

Who cares what ndamakdingdong Sue thinks anyway. Lions are finished.

Mr Charlie

October 24th, 2011
7:54 pm

I also have not problem with cheering his injury, or booing his return. Of course the other team is gonna be happy that Ice is out, because it give them the best chance to win. And we saw it on the very next play when he came in an threw what might have been the best pass I ever saw him throw.

OldTimer

October 24th, 2011
7:54 pm

To me, the play of the game was the Brent Grimes tip away from Calvin Johnson.

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]

Mr Charlie

October 24th, 2011
7:55 pm

Old Timer, might have been. Grimes was 4 feet off the ground.

chad

October 24th, 2011
7:56 pm

Some of the racist comments against Suh on here are sickening.

IlliniDawg

October 24th, 2011
7:58 pm

@chad: where do you see racism? “I think thou dost protest too much”

I'D BE ANGRY IF I LIVED IN DETROIT TOO

October 24th, 2011
7:59 pm

Willing to bet SUH does not finish the year this year, and if teams cant get him, They’re going after Stafford. Maybe stafford will get Suh to shut his mouth. By the way Detroits bubble popped against the 49ers and its all down hill from here. Detroit had the best two weeks of their lives a couple of weeks ago……now its back to reality.

IlliniDawg

October 24th, 2011
8:00 pm

Oh s*** – “CHOKE the JOKE” is back. Damnit! Positively the most annoying person on the planet.

chad

October 24th, 2011
8:00 pm

Shaquindoma Suh. Is a good example.

DA BEARS!!!!!!!!

October 24th, 2011
8:01 pm

n 2 wks welcome 2 soilder field we r taking there punk ass out ……guarenteed

IlliniDawg

October 24th, 2011
8:01 pm

And another? Missed that one. But I’ve read through all the comments and what I see is people dissing him and making fun of his name. That’s not racism.

Sid

October 24th, 2011
8:03 pm

I’ve been looking for more video but there was one where Suh is out of the picture but you can see McClure spin around quickly in Suh’s direction (Suh is not pictured in the vid)……….like maybe somebody said something then. I just don’t think White and McClure would make this stuff up. What the hell was Detroit doing in front of the Falcons tunnel anyway………probably on direction of their little Peeshwank coach.

randawg6

October 24th, 2011
8:03 pm

Suh. Great talent. Not great choice of words. If you taunted Ryan. Shame on you. Too much talent to let your mouth make headlines. You are no Jared Allen. Shut up and play

Sid

October 24th, 2011
8:04 pm

Lol……………Grimey, how did you miss that interception…………???

Matt "CHOKE" Ryan

October 24th, 2011
8:04 pm

63.1 WB rating was impressive :)

Mr Charlie

October 24th, 2011
8:07 pm

The WB rating? what kind of loser are you? The W is the only rating that matters.

Mr Charlie

October 24th, 2011
8:08 pm

Ryan is a big boy, I don’t really think anything any lineman says will bother him.

chad

October 24th, 2011
8:09 pm

The problem is he and his family are very educated and Suh is very active in the community. If you go through his hits his reputation is very undeserved. Probably onloy 2 hits in his career should be held against, one being his first pro game in the preseasen when he almost ripped Mccoy’s head off. But understand the frustration of suh and Lions fans when fines are levied for hits like the one on cutler last year when he only pushed Cutler down too hard. Anyways it was a hard fought chippy game on both sides and as Lions fans were glad Ryan wasnt hurt seriously. I was kind of upset he went out because he wasnt playing good, but he came back on the 3rd down play and made the throw of the game. Anyways good luck Atlanta, we will be fine in detroit. Need to work on our O line and things will be fine.

Delbert D.

October 24th, 2011
8:10 pm

Nocahomadung Suh is headed toward a big-time suspension.

Double Standard

October 24th, 2011
8:10 pm

Jeff, thanks for responding to my post. My only follow-up is: if the complaints by the GB players are as common as you and D-Led maintain, then why did they spark “front page” stories on major sites like ESPN and NFL.com? It just felt like there was more to that story and I saw nothing on AJC. If I only read AJC, I would never have known of the Packer player’s comments and perspective following that game.

Matt "CHOKE" Ryan

October 24th, 2011
8:11 pm

Ryan Leaf >CHOKE :)