Say what you will about Ndamukong Suh, but he was one of the greats of his generation at defensive tackle. He was a five-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler during the 2010s. His 71.5 sacks rank in the top 20 among defensive tackles all-time, and he could very well end up with a gold jacket in Canton, Ohio, as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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However, Suh is likely remembered more for his dirty plays and hot-headed nature on the field. He was called for nine personal fouls in his first two seasons with the Detroit Lions — the most in the league. Suh also racked up over $216K in on-field fines during his first four years in the league. He was even voted the dirtiest and least-liked player in the league in two separate polls in 2012.
But since retiring following the 2022 campaign, Suh has seemingly undergone quite a character shift. He’s gone from the dirtiest player in the league to a big ol’ softie. Instead of intimidating massive men on the gridiron, he’s focusing on his relationship and life with his wife, Katya Suh. The pair recently shared some tricks of the trade about how they’ve found success in their partnership.
“Long-term success isn’t built on big moments. It’s built on who you choose to face the hard ones with. The right partner doesn’t just survive the fire with you—they build through it,” Ndamukong penned (via IG).
The Suhs met while both were attending Nebraska. Katya (nee Leick) was playing for the Cornhuskers’ basketball team, and Ndamukong for the football team. They began dating in 2009, and in 2019, the big fella proposed to his woman in a romantic setting in France.
Unfortunately, they got married in 2020, and so were forced to have a mostly Zoom wedding during COVID. Since then, they have had two children, twins Kingston and Khari, born in March of 2021. The Suhs, obviously, learned about good and bad times early in their marriage.
“Hot take: Don’t marry someone who’s only good when life is good. You need someone who shows up the same when everything’s falling apart,” Katya said.
It’s a good message that people should keep in mind, but let’s be honest: it’s more common sense than a hot take. Claiming that as relationship advice is a little bit stretch. And if that “hot take” wasn’t hot enough for you, Katya had a few more to toss into the mix:
“Hot take: Your spouse impacts your job more than your job ever will. Pick someone who multiplies your growth, not your problems… Hot take: A $100,000 wedding won’t save a $10 relationship. Marry someone who’s focused on building a future, not funding a party.”
Here’s the rest:
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Did anyone else’s eyes just roll right out of their head at how self-evident and corny these “hot takes” are? It’s like the idea of your partner being important and actually liking you never occurred to anyone before this post?
But seriously, it’s nice to see Ndamukong Suh living a happy life with what seems like a lovely and capable partner in Katya. The Instagram posts are a little bit pandering, but we suppose that is the world we’re living in now, unfortunately.
