• Video: Former Husker Ndamukong speaks before Saturday's Red-White game:
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LINCOLN — Ndamukong Suh finished his Nebraska football career as the most decorated defensive player in school history.
He's now the most charitable as well.
The former NU defensive tackle pledged a donation of $2.6 million to the university at Saturday's spring game, an announcement that drew perhaps the biggest applause of the day. It's the largest single gift the university has received from a former player, Athletic Director Tom Osborne said.
Suh, expected to be a top five pick in Thursday's NFL draft, said $2 million will go to the strength and conditioning program and $600,000 is to endow a scholarship to the UNL College of Engineering. Suh earned a bachelor of science in construction management in December.
“It's a great feeling,” Suh said. “I didn't feel like I had to, but I definitely wanted to give back to a university that gave me so much."
NU will receive Suh's donation after he signs an NFL contract. The $2 million portion is expected to go toward renovations and updates in the north stadium strength and conditioning center.
“I had a fantastic football career at Nebraska and thanks to my coaches and support staff, I have learned the value of hard work, teamwork and life skills,” Suh said in a release. “These skills will help me tremendously as I prepare for my career in the NFL.”
Husker coach Bo Pelini raised a fist in the air when Suh was cheered during the ceremony. The announcement came during a break in the action in the first quarter.
“Suh's a special human being,” Pelini said, “and obviously he's meant a lot to this program and accomplished a lot. And I think he's smart enough and mature enough to realize that there are a lot of other people that played a hand in helping him achieve that and put him in the position he's in now. It just shows the type of maturity he has. He's a tremendous young man whose life is about to change here in five days.”
Former NU offensive lineman Carl Nicks, who recently won a Super Bowl title with New Orleans, said he was blown away by Suh's donation.
“You have to respect a guy that does that,” Nicks said. “To do something like that you have a heart as big as the moon.”
Contact the writer:
850-0781, nickrubek@hotmail.com
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