Imagine how spectacular his rookie season might have been had he played with two healthy shoulders?

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who became just the sixth defensive tackle in NFL history to win the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year award, revealed he played with a right shoulder injury all season.

He sustained the injury during his senior season at Nebraska. He had surgery on Jan. 10, causing him to miss a start in the Pro Bowl.

Still, bad shoulder and all, Suh posted 10 sacks and was a dominant presence for the Lions.

"He's never acted like a rookie, not from the day he came in here," said defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham during the season. "He never played like one and never acted like one.

"It's the combination of outstanding skills, power, speed and balance -- but, mostly, it's the mental makeup and maturity. I'm telling you, when I first talked to him, I thought I was talking to a 10-year veteran."

Suh was the first rookie defensive tackle named to the All-Pro team since 1950. He was the seventh Lions' rookie to win rookie of the year honors and the first defensive player since Al "Bubba" Baker in 1978.

"There are a lot of rookies who can handle the physical part of it, but it's the mental part that gets to them -- especially at that position," Cunningham said. "He withstood the power of the double teams week after week after week. That's tough to do, that drains a player physically -- but, mostly, it drains them mentally."

Suh was omnipresent in Dallas during Super Bowl week. Not only was he doing public relations work for the league, he was busy talking up the Lions to potential free agents. One of those potential free agents was Falcons linebacker Stephen Nicholas.

"Oh, definitely," Nicholas told the Detroit Free Press. "Suh had an awesome year this year. Moved people around, threw a couple people around. A lot of good things out of that guy were happening. I think they're definitely starting to turn things around."

That's been Suh's message. He will tell anybody who'll listen that the expectation next season is for the Lions to make the playoffs.

"Without a doubt. I love expectations," Suh said. "I love having to work and have high standards. ... I have my own high standards. It's even better to have other people have those high standards for you."

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