Ndamukong Suh is no stranger to big hits. So it probably came as no surprise to him that he would be the first person to be fined in the 2013 season. During the Lions game against the Minnesota Vikings, Suh had a low tackle against offensive lineman John Sullivan when DeAndre Levy intercepted Vikings’ quarterback Christian Ponder. The hit resulted in a penalty that cost the Lions a touchdown as Levy was able to run all the way to the endzone. After reviewing the play, the NFL fined Suh $100,000; the largest fine in league history. Surprisingly, Suh was not suspended despite his history of questionable hits. Suh was suspended two games in the past after stomping on the arm of Green Bay’s Evan Dietrich-Smith.
Trying to take responsibility for costing his team a touchdown, Suh apologized to his teammates, specifically Levy. Levy accepted his apology as did the rest of Suh’s teammates. Sullivan also commented on the situation saying that he did not think Suh was trying to hurt him. “It was pretty clear that I was out of the play,” said the offensive lineman, “I don’t think he was trying to hurt me, but there (needs to) be consequences when guys don’t respect the careers of other players.”
