BALTIMORE RAVEN TERRELL SUGGS---T-SIZZLE
It has often been said that sometimes the best gifts you get are the ones you never receive. The Ravens, in search of a franchise quarterback and sitting with the 10th pick in the 2003 NFL draft, knew they needed to try and trade up. USC’s Carson Palmer was already snagged by Cincinnati with the top pick. Marshall’s Byron Leftwich was deemed to be the next best quarterback available and the Ravens wanted him. The Minnesota Vikings held the 7th pick and Baltimore reached out to them and feverishly tried to work out a deal to trade up as the Vikings were on the clock. But while the two were trying to finalize a deal, time expired and Jacksonville slotted into the number seven pick and quickly drafted Leftwich. The Ravens brain trust were devastated and planning on now trading down but decided to left the 8th and 9th picks play out and see what happened.
When it came time for Baltimore to use their number 10 pick, they were astonished at who was still available. Terrell Suggs, a hybrid linebacker/defensive end who they really liked was still in the board as several players they had ranked behind Suggs had already been selected. And so Suggs became a Baltimore Raven.
THE VALEDICTORIAN OF BALL SO HARD UNIVERSITY LEADS THE RAVENS DOMINATING DEFENSE
by Rick Benson
Leftwich wound up earning a Super Bowl ring with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008, but his career was largely undistinguished (no Pro Bowls, several ankle injuries, being benched by three different teams). Suggs, on the other hand, is the Ravens career leader in sacks, a six-time Pro Bowler and entering his 14th NFL season with as much energy and passion as he had the first time he donned the purple and black. When franchise icon Ray Lewis retired in 2012 after Baltimore won their second Super Bowl, Suggs stepped in to become the emotional leader for the Ravens. His excellence was already established; including his selection as NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2011. He joined Jonathan Ogden, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed among others in the long line of Ravens legends with his own unique flair. The man they call T-Sizzle is the most distinguished alumni of his self-named Ball So Hard University.
Suggs enjoyed immediate success as a rookie in 2003 as he tied an NFL record by posting a sack in each of his first four games. He finished the season with 27 tackles (19 solo), 12 sacks (a Ravens franchise rookie record), 6 forced fumbles, 2 pass deflections, and 1 interception, earning him Defensive Rookie of the Year honors while only starting one game that year.
The next season in 2004, he was elected to his first Pro Bowl as he recorded 10.5 sacks and 60 tackles (45 solo).
In 2005, the Ravens' new defensive co-ordinator Rex Ryan, son of famous defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, moved Suggs from outside linebacker to defensive end in many of the defensive schemes. Despite registering a then-career-low 8 sacks, Suggs also set new career-highs in tackles with 69 (46 solo) and interceptions with 2.
In 2006, Suggs was part of the NFL's best overall defense, the unit allowing a league-low 12.6 points per game. He recorded 64 tackles (46 solo), 9.5 sacks, and set new career-high in pass deflections with 8. After the season, he was voted to the Pro Bowl for the second time. He was a major contributor as the Ravens went 13-3. For the season, Suggs started nine games at right defensive end in the Ravens base 4-3 and seven games at outside linebacker when the Ravens started game in a base 3-4 defense. Suggs also earned attention for his flashy playing style, "Suggs evolved into one of the league's best pass-rushers whether he is blitzing as a linebacker or rushing from defensive end with one hand on the ground."
The following season in 2007, Suggs made 80 tackles (52 solo) and five sacks, as he and the Ravens plummeted to 5-11. Like the season before, Suggs was a hybrid defensive end/linebacker, playing 50 percent of the defensive snaps at defensive end in the Ravens base 4-3 defense.
On February 19, 2008, the Ravens placed the franchise tag on Suggs. He initially filed a grievance because the team had designated him as a LB with the franchise tag rather than a DE, which resulted in a monetary difference of about $800,000. Despite being unhappy with the franchise tag, Suggs reported to off-season mini-camps to practice with the team. On May 13, 2008, he reached an agreement with the team to split the difference in the franchise tag amounts of a LB and a DE and drop his grievance.
In Week 7 of the 2008 NFL season, Suggs intercepted a pass from Chad Pennington of the Miami Dolphins and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown, the first pick six of his professional career. Two weeks later, he intercepted Derek Anderson of the Cleveland Browns for a game-sealing touchdown. At season's end, he was named to his third Pro Bowl after producing 68 tackles (53 solo), 2 forced fumbles and 8 sacks to go along with the 2 interceptions, a new career-high 9 pass break-ups and 2 touchdowns. During the 2008–09 NFL playoffs, Suggs recorded sacks in all three of the Ravens' post-season games, including two in the AFC Championship game against Ben Roethlisberger, whom Suggs sacked often over the years.
On February 18, 2009, he was once again given the Ravens' franchise tag. On July 15, 2009, the Ravens signed him to a 6-year, $62.5 million contract. His bonus money ($33.1 million) made him the highest paid linebacker in NFL history.
The 2009 season was not as productive for Suggs as he recorded a career-low in sacks with 4.5. Playing above his normal playing weight, he also missed the first three games of his career due to injury after quarterback Brady Quinn dove at his legs after cornerback Chris Carr intercepted a pass. In the wild Card playoff game against the New England Patriots, Suggs sacked and forced a Tom Brady fumble before recovering the ball on the Patriots' opening drive, helping the Ravens ultimately win 33–14.
In 2010, Suggs compiled 68 tackles (53 solo), 11.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 pass deflections. In the play-off win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round, he made 4 tackles (all solo) and two sacks. Against the Steelers in the divisional playoff round, he recorded six tackles (5 solo), a career-high three sacks, and a forced fumble that was recovered and returned for a touchdown by fellow DE Cory Redding.
After the conclusion of the 2011 season, Suggs was named #11 on the NFL Top 100 list for 2012. During the 2012 offseason, Suggs tore his Achilles tendon allegedly while playing basketball; though Suggs and his agent have claimed that he was hurt while doing conditioning workouts.[17] Owner Steve Bisciotti stated that it was no concern where he hurt it and the Ravens will not try to avoid paying him his contract. Some medical experts believed that Suggs' injury should have forced him to miss the 2012 NFL season, however Suggs claimed he would return by November 2012. On October 20th, 2012, Suggs was removed from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, allowing him to play October 21 against the Houston Texans. Suggs has been the first player in the NFL to recover so quickly from such serious injury. Suggs' return surprised many, as he finished the game with 4 tackles (3 solo), 1 pass defended, and 1 sack, less than 5 and a half months after having Achilles tendon surgery.
Suggs was key in the Ravens win over the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs with two sacks on Broncos Quarterback Peyton Manning, after which, the Ravens advanced to New England in a rematch of the previous year's AFC Championship Game where they defeated the Patriots 28-13. The win gave Suggs his first ever AFC Championship and his first appearance in the Super Bowl, being Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers. In that game, the Ravens won 34-31, earning Suggs his first Super Bowl ring
Within 12 weeks into the season, Suggs had registered 9.0 sacks and one fumble recovery. Overall in 2013, Suggs started all 16 games with 80 tackles, a fumble recovery, and 10 sacks. For his successful 2013 season, Suggs was elected to participate in the Pro Bowl (6th overall).
Suggs recorded his first sack of the season against Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (it was a half-sack). From weeks 6-8, he had one sack per game. In Week 7, the sack he recorded on Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was for a safety, and he also recovered a fumble.
From Weeks 10-17 (other than Baltimore's Week 11 bye), Suggs recorded at least one sack in each game, with the one exception being the Week 16 loss to the Houston Texans (a game in which the Ravens had no sacks whatsoever). In Week 10, Suggs had 1.5 sacks on rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger. Two weeks later, in a Monday Night Football matchup against the New Orleans Saints, Suggs accounted for a sack against Saints quarterback Drew Brees. With the hit, Suggs became the 31st player in NFL history to register over 100 sacks, and the first member of the Baltimore Ravens to achieve such a milestone.
In the Ravens' season finale, Suggs recorded a sack, a defended pass and a fumble recovery, all on Browns first-time-starting quarterback Connor Shaw. The Ravens clinched a Wild Card spot in the playoffs that day. Suggs finished the year with 12 sacks, a pass defended, a fumble recovery and a safety. He and Elvis Dumervil led the league in sacks by a pair with 29 (Dumervil led the Ravens with 17).
In the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, Suggs intercepted a pass from Ben Roethlisberger in the fourth quarter. The ball bounced off the hands of running back Ben Tate, the intended receiver on the play, and landed between a diving Suggs's legs. The Ravens won this game 30-17 and moved onto the Divisional round against the New England Patriots.
During the season opener against the Denver Broncos on September 13, 2015, Suggs suffered an achilles injury and left the game. Hours later, an MRI revealed that his achilles was torn, which prematurely ended his 2015 season. He rebounded nicely in 2016; starting in 15 games and recording eight sacks and three forced fumbles as the Ravens finished the season with an 8-8 mark.
Entering his 15th NFL season, Suggs reported to the Ravens 2017 training camp in outstanding shape with a determination to lead Baltimore back to the playoffs. The Ravens first ever trip overseas to play Jacksonville at London's Wembley Stadium marked the 200th game in his great career. His passion, his enthusiasm and his playmaking ability are just as strong as they were as a rookie—even if the Ravens were looking QB.
'Vader of the group,' Terrell Suggs enjoys twilight of Ravens career with twinkle in eyes
by Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun 6/15/17
Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs is handling the twilight of his NFL career in his unique way. It's all going to end with a big smile on his face.
As the final practice of the three-day minicamp came to a close Thursday, Suggs started by hijacking team owner Steve Bisciotti's golf cart along with defensive tackle Brandon Williams and ended his session by catching a touchdown pass in the end zone.
Why was one of the NFL's top linebackers catching passes? Who knows? Why did he leave practice about 45 minutes early before everyone else for the second day in a row? It's uncertain.
And we don't care. He is Terrell Suggs; he does whatever he wants.
"I only know how to be Sizzle. Everyone else is taken," said Suggs, who is entering his 15th season and is the Ravens' all-time sack leader with 114.5. "I might as well just be myself. I'm going to have a tremendous amount of fun this year and in camp. I'm going to be a big kid."
Don't get the impression Suggs is disrespectful to coach John Harbaugh or his teammates. When a player reaches a certain stature in the league, he gets more privileges than others and handles his final years differently.
Hall of Fame offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden left the game shortly after a toe injury caused a slight drop-off in his weekly performance. You admire Ogden for that because he was a model of perfection. If he couldn't give 100 percent, then he didn't want to play.
Former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis struggled with his declining skills during the last two seasons of his 17-year career and was irritated by any criticism about having lost a step or two.
But Suggs is like former tight end Shannon Sharpe, who played two years in Baltimore after 10 in Denver. Sharpe had a blast as a Raven, from taping rookies to goal posts to becoming the team's top trash-talker. Suggs can rival Sharpe in yap and has a more stylish wardrobe.
Suggs still has some TV gigs and possibly wants to go into filmmaking when he retires. He knows he isn't the player he was when he was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, but that's not important.
He is just enjoying the remaining moments.
"Yes, and it's a new era of Ravens. I'm the Vader of the group — the last of my kind," Suggs said. "I like that, but you can't deny a C.J. Mosley or a Brandon Williams, Eric Weddle, Tony Jefferson. It's very fortunate of me to still be a part … to be the last piece of that transition. It's a good feeling, but it's also exciting to see these young guys go out there and create the new era of Ravens with the statement they're trying to make, too."
"I'm just enjoying my time. When it's time for me to cross that bridge [into retirement], I'll cross it proudly. I just don't feel like it's the time yet."
His leadership is needed more than ever before because the Ravens have a lot of young players on defense, especially at linebacker with second-year players Kamalei Correa and Matthew Judon and rookies Tim Williams and Tyus Bowser.
But Suggs' leadership is different from what we've seen in the past in Baltimore. We're used to the stoic personality of John Unitas and the flamboyance of Lewis, but not the antics and one-liners of Suggs, who can liven a practice or ease the tension leading up to a big game.
Suggs puts in more time in the film room than many expect.
"This guy is a smart," defensive coordinator Dean Pees said. "I would say he is one of our smartest defensive players, if not the smartest we have. Do not kid yourself about all the joking around and all of that kind of stuff."
"You can really tell a difference in our types of practice when he is here and when he is not here. It is more fun for me when he is here, too. But, when it is time to be serious, there is nobody more serious. There is really nobody smarter on this defensive football team than Terrell Suggs."
Suggs has already taken control of the young guys.
"I think he has always embraced it," Harbaugh said of Suggs' leadership. "It probably is better than ever right now certainly. What I am so impressed with is the leadership by example that he has demonstrated in this offseason. He is out there doing it, and he is out there competing with the guys every day in the conditioning program. It is impressive to watch, and that is a great way to get guys attention if you want to be a leader. He has done it the right way."
Suggs has caught on that if he wants to keep playing he has to put in more time as far as training and diet. This was the first time in 15 years he participated in the team's offseason conditioning program.
In the past when Suggs was overweight and out of shape, he wore a lot of clothing and stayed away from the media during offseason camps. He has been wearing a tank top the past three days.
Few on the coaching staff are expecting miracles, but a well-conditioned Suggs is still better than 60 to 70 percent of the offensive tackles in the NFL.
He still will make his share of plays. And as usual, he'll do it with a smile on his face.