Ndamukong Suh may be known for his dominating style and accusations of dirty play. But with Suh, most things are calculated.
Even in the prime of his NFL career, the defensive tackle is already looking ahead to his life after football. And, to the surprise of no one, he's already calculating that phase of his life.
Step One: Make friends with billionaires.
As revealed in The Wall Street Journal, Suh has fostered a friendship with billionaire Warren Buffett, catching dinner with him every so often and building toward a post-NFL business career. The pair have some common ground: Both graduated from the University of Nebraska, where Suh was a Heisman finalist. Buffett still lives in Omaha.
So far, Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has been impressed with Suh's business acumen.
"I’m just glad he's not running against me for a board spot," Buffett told the WSJ. "Everyone tries to hustle sports stars. I think he knows I'm not trying to take him. I'm not trying to get involved in his finances."
Buffett is far from Suh's only business connection. His network of high-level relationships include basketball star turned restaurant tycoon Junior Bridgeman; Joe Moglia, the former TD Ameritrade CEO who now coaches football for Coastal Carolina; and Magic Johnson, whom Suh met with over the summer.
"I took 10 pages of notes," Suh said.
Suh said he spends his off days during the season talking with advisors and reviewing business contracts. Although he's letting his agent handle his impending free agency, Suh is very interested in the deal-making side of business.
And he could have a lot of capital at his disposal in the near future. Suh is already at the end of a $60 million rookie contract, and he's poised to make much more this summer as a free agent.
Buffett praised Suh for using his football stature to make business connections. The two were initially brought together through former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne, and he said Suh is smart to recognize that people want to have a relationship with him.
"If you’ve been a football star at Nebraska, a lot of people say hello to you," Buffett said.
Wondering if Buffett has advised Suh on the financial ramifications of running up fines from the league office.
