Emma Miller stood in her graffiti-covered “Cancer Survivor” shirt, waiting to be crushed.
The 10-year-old didn't have much more meat on her than a dieting celery stalk, but she was hardly afraid of the 300-plus pound defensive lineman scooping her up in his porterhouse arms.
Usually, those arms punish opposing quarterbacks, but former Nebraska football standout Ndamukong Suh wrapped them around Miller in a gentle hug Thursday at Children's Hospital & Medical Center.
“It feels like my good old days in Nebraska,” said Suh, who will suit up this season for the Detroit Lions. “I've always loved coming to Children's Hospital. I don't remember the last time I was here — it might have been two years ago — and it wasn't as nice as it is now.”
The No. 2 pick in April's NFL draft was in town to speak to the Nebraska chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He made a quick stop at the hospital, where about 100 people posed for pictures and presented him with just about everything imaginable to sign.
“It's almost like I had to look up at him,” Emma said. “If I had to choose a bodyguard, I'd choose him.”
Quarterbacks, especially in the NFC North, might need additional bodyguards this year. Suh is part of a revamped Lions defensive line along with two other newcomers: defensive tackle Corey Williams and former Nebraska defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch.
Suh said he likes his chances of having a contract signed and being at Lions training camp by July 30, when players report.
“I think they're very good. I was talking to my agents recently, and things are in progress,” Suh said. “It's my first training camp, and I'm looking forward to being a part of it.”
Suh practiced his autograph often Thursday, putting it on everything from family pictures to Nintendo DS gaming systems.
Seth Conrad, 10, wore a Lions shirt with a fresh Suh signature on the back.
Meeting Suh was “a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Seth said, declaring he is now a full-fledged Lions fan.
Before, his Lions allegiance depended on “who they were playing,” Seth said. “But now I'm a huge Lions fan. I had to.”
Fans looked excited to meet the former Husker, and Suh looked happy to be a part of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation fundraiser, calling it an honor to speak at the event. The disease doesn't run in his family, but he said past injuries and adversity help him give a positive message to those diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
“I can relate to going through hard times,” he said. “You have to be persistent and push through.”
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