INDIANAPOLIS — Former Nebraska defensive lineman and Heisman finalist Ndamukong Suh shot down the notion of a personal rivalry with ex-Oklahoma star and fellow defensive lineman Gerald McCoy, even though everyone else is seemingly making it into one.
Similar to the hype behind quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf in the 1998 draft and the back-and-forth debates about who would make a better pro, Suh and McCoy have fans, media and NFL decision-makers lining up behind one or the other as the NFL Combine churns on.
Many pundits have Suh as the likely No. 1 pick of the St. Louis Rams in April's draft, but McCoy has been generating a sizable amount of combine buzz.
“When I try to get people down on that question, what I've gotten is a little bit more McCoy 1A and Suh 1B,” said Charley Casserly, a former NFL general manager and a current television analyst. “They feel McCoy is a little better athlete.”
That might make Husker fans, who witnessed 13 games full of Suh's freakish play-making abilities in 2009, shake their heads, but Suh isn't letting it affect his relationship with McCoy, who was not available to the media on Saturday.
“I don't think it's a rivalry,” Suh said. “We're definitely competitive with each other, but we're good friends off the field. I met him for the first time after we beat OU at home and it kind of grew from there. More or less, we got to know each other on the awards circuit.
“We have a good relationship between each other. We text each other before we came down here, talk to each other when we had dinner (Friday) night in our orientation. When it comes to the combine and getting ready for (Monday's workouts), obviously we'll go our separate ways.”
Suh believes that the No. 1 pick is still up for grabs. The Rams have also been evaluating quarterbacks Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) and Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame) at the combine.
“For me, I just like being No. 1 and striving for No. 1,” Suh said. “I'm a competitor, I want to be No. 1.”
If Suh does fall to the second or third pick, he wouldn't mind seeing McCoy as the top selection.
“I'd definitely be happy for him, but I'd be disappointed in myself not getting it,” said Suh, who hopes to be the first Nebraska player to go No. 1 overall since Irving Fryar in 1984.
Former Huskers linebacker Phillip Dillard, also competing at the combine, has seen enough of his ex-teammate to endorse him as the best player in the draft.
“Playing with Suh and watching the things he's done, he's a game-changer,” Dillard said. “There were a few games we would have lost if he didn't make an interception or get a batted down pass. There were quite a few plays the other team may have scored on if it wasn't for his individual work and the way he did things.
“At the beginning of the year, I thought Suh was the best player in college football. There are other guys out there, but in my opinion, to do those things as a D-tackle, that's crazy.”
But McCoy's not too shabby either, Dillard said.
“He's a great player,” Dillard said. “He's just as fast and physical, a very big, intelligent player. Him and Suh could go either way (in the draft).”
Suh said there are differences between the way he and McCoy play the position, but he didn't think that it was fair to call McCoy a better penetrating rusher.
“We played two different defenses in my opinion,” Suh said. “He had the freedom to penetrate. I was in the scheme of reading and playing through my man and then getting to the ball and disengaging. If I were in that same scheme as him, or vice versa, I think it would be total opposites as it is right now.”
Suh believes that he can adjust to playing a different style of defense in the NFL.
“Those are the biggest questions that have been brought to me: Can I adjust and play the run on the way to the pass rusher,” he said. “I think I can do that. I just haven't had the opportunity yet because of the scheme we were in (at Nebraska).
“Detroit, that was the first team I talked to, they definitely recognized that and understood that. Their question was am I comfortable enough to be able to adjust to that. Whatever the team needs me to do, I'll be able to do.”
Both Suh and McCoy are expected to do all the workout drills on Monday. Some analysts believe that it could hurt Suh's draft stock if he doesn't perform up to expectations.
“I don't feel like I have anything to hide,” said Suh, who also has a pro day scheduled for March 11 in Lincoln. “I've been working hard these last six weeks. There's no point in working out and then not coming up and showing up. You're just kind of wasting time.
“You might as well put in the work, showcase it, go back to work, showcase it again at pro day and then move on.”
Surely, the comparisons between Suh and McCoy will continue regardless of their combine performances.
“I think we're both great players,” Suh said. “We definitely have similarities, but differences. We're two great players and definitely worthy of the positions we're in.”
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