LINCOLN — Ndamukong Suh became only the sixth player in Nebraska football history to be taken among the first two picks in an NFL draft Thursday night, going No. 2 overall to the Detroit Lions.
Suh rose from his seat at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, exchanged high-fives and hugs with family and friends, donned a Lions hat and went to the podium to shake hands with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
“It's amazing,” Suh said on ESPN's live coverage. “It feels good. To have those tingles come down your body, it's amazing.”
In relocating his football home, Suh joins a Detroit franchise that has labored through nine straight losing seasons. The Lions were 2-14 a year ago after being the first team in NFL history to have an 0-16 record in 2008.
In Detroit, he'll also join former Huskers Dominic Raiola and Kyle Vanden Bosch. Suh and Vanden Bosch both will be newcomers to the Lions' defensive line.
The first prime-time start for the draft in NFL history kicked off with St. Louis using the No. 1 pick on former Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. It was the 10th time in the past 13 years that a quarterback was taken No. 1 overall.
Goodell then called Suh's number less than 10 minutes later, announcing: “With the second pick in the 2010 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions select Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle, Nebraska.
The 6-foot-4, 307-pounder is the Huskers' highest draft pick since Neil Smith went No. 2 to Kansas City in 1988.
Suh for months was thought to have a chance to be No. 1, something only accomplished by former Nebraska players Irving Fryar (1984) and Sam Francis (1937). In addition to Smith, other former Huskers to go No. 2 were Dean Steinkuhler (1984) and Bob Brown (1964).
Suh started building his momentum for the NFL draft last season, when he was the Associated Press national player of the year and collected more postseason hardware than anybody in college football.
As a senior, Suh led the Huskers with 85 tackles and 12 sacks, anchoring a Nebraska defense that allowed fewer points than any team in NCAA Division I-A football.
Before Goodell announced the Suh pick, he was smiling during a phone call, obviously with Lions' personnel, and could be heard saying, “I'm looking forward to it.”
Detroit, however, has not made the NFL playoffs since 1999 and last had a winning record with a 9-7 finish in 2000. The Lions' record over the last nine seasons is 33-111.
Suh stories
• Only elite can identify with Suh's 'life-changing' night
• Tom Shatel's column: Ex-Husker Raiola roaring for Suh
• Suh, Bradford, McCoy take it easy
• Suh is hoping to leave legacy with donation
Track the draft
• First round
• Video: Ndamukong Suh prepares for the NFL draft:
• Video: Suh's Nebraska highlights:
• Photo Showcase: A look at Ndamukong Suh
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
