Nebraska Football Legend Crowned the 2000s Best Defensive Player: A Controversial Nod to Blackshirt Glory
In a bold, eyebrow-raising move, The Athletic has named Nebraska’s own defensive juggernaut, Ndamukong Suh, the best college football defensive player of the 2000s. The recognition has sent shockwaves through the college football landscape, sparking celebration in Lincoln and heated debate everywhere else. Suh, a cornerstone of the Blackshirts legacy, is no stranger to controversy or accolades—but being crowned above NFL-bound legends like Patrick Willis, Tyrann Mathieu, and Ed Reed? That’s a lightning strike in the middle of an already turbulent storm.
Suh’s 2009 season alone was a seismic event in college football history. Lining up for Nebraska like a granite statue possessed by a demon, he racked up 85 tackles, 12 sacks, and a ridiculous 24 tackles for loss, all from the defensive tackle position—a role where stats are supposed to come in modest handfuls, not bucketloads. His performance in the Big 12 Championship Game against Texas, where he bulldozed the Longhorns’ offensive line and terrorized Colt McCoy, remains one of the most dominant single-game defensive efforts ever witnessed. Texas escaped with a 13–12 win, but Suh left as the game’s undisputed force of nature.
Yet, the controversy lies not in his numbers, but in the style of his play. Suh didn’t just beat opponents—he embarrassed them. Critics labeled him “dirty,” calling out his aggressive hits and his unapologetic attitude. His penchant for toeing the line between violent and vicious made him a polarizing figure. Fans in Lincoln hailed him as a gladiator. Opponents viewed him as a menace.
The Athletic’s choice brings Nebraska’s once-dominant Blackshirts defense back into national discussion, a unit that once struck fear across the nation. But it also raises questions: Should Suh’s recognition eclipse those who played full four-year careers at elite levels across all positions? What about cornerbacks who neutralized entire halves of the field, or linebackers who orchestrated defenses like maestros? Detractors argue that Suh’s recognition is more about the “wow factor” than sustained excellence over time.
Still, it’s hard to argue against the sheer impact Suh had—not just on Nebraska football, but on the perception of what a defensive lineman could be. He finished fourth in the 2009 Heisman Trophy voting, unheard of for his position. He won the Lombardi, Bednarik, Nagurski, and Outland Trophies, sweeping hardware like a Heisman finalist.
In fiction, Suh might be cast as a villain with heart—hulking, destructive, brilliant, and misunderstood. But in truth, he’s now immortalized as the defensive player of the 2000s, a symbolic return to relevance for a Nebraska program that’s spent the last decade fighting to regain its identity.
Whether you agree or not, one thing is clear: in the violent ballet of college football, Ndamukong Suh was not just a participant—he was the choreography. And in the echoes of Memorial Stadium, his legacy roars louder than ever.
