Suh senses good news from talks to end NFL lockout

WALLED LAKE, Mich. – Ndamukong Suh is spending his offseason traveling, working out, rehabbing his surgically repaired shoulder and spending time with family and friends.

The Detroit Lions defensive tackle, though, is ready to get back to work.

Suh said he believes that chance could come soon and he's encouraged by the ongoing talks aimed at ending the NFL lockout.

"It seems like there's some good progress and good talks," Suh said Tuesday during a break at one of his youth football camps. "The main thing is that they're talking and being able to interact with each other. There was a point in time where there was nothing being said and we were just sitting back.

"Now, there's some interaction and it looks like there's some positive light at the end of the tunnel. We're looking forward to getting it done."

St. Louis and Chicago are due to start training camp in a few weeks — slightly sooner than Detroit — before playing in the previously scheduled Hall of Fame game on Aug. 7.

Suh is looking forward to the lockout being lifted so that he can train at Lions headquarters when he's in town.

"I was actually upset, flying in from Virginia, that I had to figure out where I had to go work out," Suh said. "I'd would rather go to the Lions facility, get it done, and then come out to a camp like this."

Suh hosted more than 200 youths as a two-day camp began at Walled Lake Western High School on Tuesday morning before heading to Detroit Osborn to share tips and techniques. He went from station to station around the field, then engaged the campers during a question-and-answer session.

When Suh asked 10-year-old Cameron Corso what he had learned, the Detroit youth said tackling and then showed the star he knew how to make a hit. The husky kid said he took it easy on the 6-foot-4, 307-pound Suh.

"I didn't want to hurt him," Corso said.

Watching along a nearby fence, Joe Plets said he was hoping for an end to the lockout, too.

The Lions season-ticket holder, whose 9-year-old son, Evan, was at the camp, said he believes Suh can help the Lions continue to get better.

"Oh God, I just hope as a Lions fan that a lockout doesn't affect the improvements we've made and the excitement we have after putting it together at the end of last season," the 40-year-old fan from Macomb said. "I'm less worried now because it seems like they're finally talking. I think there's too much at stake not to have a season."

Suh insisted he's not anxious about the lingering lockout that is in its fourth month and has barred players from team-owned facilities and contact with coaches.

"I'm mild-mannered right now," Suh said. "I'm just relaxing, being able to go see my family for the Fourth of July and being able to train at the same time.

"We normally have the month off of July anyway, so I'm going to make the most of it and make sure I'm in great shape to be able to step in at any point in time for camp."