LINCOLN ‹ Barring something unforeseen, such as a last-minute trade, Ndamukong Suh will be on the White team sideline for the Nebraska football team's Red-White intrasquad game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Suh, a returning starter at defensive tackle, had expected to be on the Red sideline. Quarterback Joe Ganz, a Red team co-captain, told Suh he would be the first pick from the "injured reserve" list when the draft was conducted on Wednesday.
When the rosters were released, however, Suh was on the White team. And since there won't be any trades, that's where he figures to be Saturday.
Regardless of the sideline, Suh won't be playing. He's among a handful of players who have missed all or part of spring because of injuries. Among others are cornerback Anthony Blue, running back Kenny Wilson and tight end Tyson Hetzer.
Suh underwent knee surgery in early March and is still rehabbing. Not being able to practice has been frustrating. But "I feel good. I definitely feel good," he said. "I'm not down about anything. I'm good with what I have going on right now."
He has been involved as much as possible during the spring, never far from defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Carl Pelini, with a practice script in-hand. So "in the sense of learning the defense, I don't think I've lost anything," said Suh.
"I don't think I've gone downhill from not doing it."
He has taken plenty of "mental reps," he said. He listens to the play that's called, looks at the script and envisions what the player at his position will do.
Before the injury that led to the surgery, Suh was looking forward to spring practice, "bickering" with offensive guards Matt Slauson and Mike Huff, players against whom he would have been lining up. "We were talking about it. 'I can't wait for spring ball,'" Suh said. "Obviously what happened happened and I couldn't go through it.
"But I told them I'm getting ready to come for them. I'll be good and ready during fall camp to get after them, the first two weeks or so."
Such good-natured give and take has characterized the first spring under coach Bo Pelini. Reports of the team's enthusiasm haven't been exaggerated.
"Definitely, without a doubt, practices are alive and up-tempo," said Suh. "Guys come out energized. You see Phil (Dillard), for example, he comes out and hits them (ball carriers)."
Most of the time, tacklers were supposed to hold up ball carriers. "But he knocks them down, and the whole defense rallies around him," Suh said.
"We start knocking the offense down and they take shots at us. It's all fun and games. We're not trying to hurt anybody. It's just not necessarily to get through practice but it makes it fun while we're going through practice, getting after each other."
Suh has been through this before. He was among a school-record 13 true freshmen to see action in 2005, playing in two games before undergoing knee surgery. He received a medical redshirt and will still be only a junior in the fall.
He started 11 games last season and was credited with 34 tackles, including six for losses, and four hurries. He also blocked a kick and recovered a fumble.
Like Dillard, who dropped some 30 pounds, the 6-foot-4 Suh has lost weight. He was listed at 305 last season and weighs "285, 290" right now.
"That was my goal before the surgery," he said. "The coaches wanted me to be down to between 295 and 300. I was working on that goal. I feel good being at that weight, working out at that weight and playing at that weight."
Suh has set last season's defensive problems aside. He's not dwelling on the past. "Personally, I think our defensive line is in a great mindset," he said. "I think we're re-energized, and I think we're ready and up for the challenge."
Saturday will provide a preview. And he'll be watching from the sideline, the White team's sideline as it turns out.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]