Terrell Suggs
Terrell Raymonn Suggs, nicknamed "T-Sizzle", is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 17 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 10th overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft, and is the franchise's all-time leader in sacks. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Suggs is a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, a two time All-Pro, and was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2011. Suggs won two Super Bowls in his career, Super Bowl XLVII in 2012 with the Ravens and Super Bowl LIV in 2019 with the Chiefs. Suggs is eighth on the NFL's all-time sacks list and first all-time in tackles for loss. He is fourth all-time in postseason sacks.
Early life
Suggs was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in St. Paul. While growing up in Saint Paul, he played youth football, as a center, with future major league MVP baseball player Joe Mauer as quarterback. Suggs moved to Arizona after the eighth grade. As a teenager, he attended multiple schools, the first being Chandler High School. He later transferred to Hamilton High School where he set the Arizona Class 5A record for rushing yards in a game with 367 against Yuma Kofa as a junior in 1999.As a senior, Suggs was named a Parade high school All-American in 2000, Gatorade Arizona Player of the Year, the No. 1 jumbo athlete in the nation by SuperPrep Magazine, Arizona Player of the Year by USA Today as well as an All-American by USA Today and the 60th-best player in the nation by Sporting News.
In addition to football, Suggs played AAU basketball.
College career
Suggs decided to attend Arizona State University, where he played defensive end for coach Bruce Snyder and coach Dirk Koetter's Arizona State Sun Devils football teams from 2000 to 2002. He finished his career with 163 tackles, including a school, career-record 65.5 tackles for losses, and 44 quarterback sacks, 14 forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions, and nine passes deflected. He set an NCAA single-season record with 24 sacks in 2002. Following his 2002 junior season, he was a first-team All-Pac-10 selection and the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. He won the Bronko Nagurski Award, the Ted Hendricks Award, and the Vince Lombardi Award. He was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American.Professional career
Baltimore Ravens
2003
Suggs was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round with the 10th overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft, becoming one of the youngest defensive players ever drafted at only 20 years old.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, 12 sacks, six forced fumbles, two pass deflections, and one interception, earning him Defensive Rookie of the Year honors while only starting one game that year.
2004
In 2004, Suggs was elected to his first Pro Bowl as he recorded 10.5 sacks and 60 tackles.2005
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. In Week 13, Suggs earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his game against the Houston Texans. Despite registering a then-career-low eight sacks, Suggs also set new career-highs in tackles with 69 and interceptions with two.2006
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, 9.5 sacks, and set a new career-high in pass deflections with eight. 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 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."File:Willie Parker runs the ball against the Ravens.jpg|thumb|left|250px|From left to right: Haloti Ngata, Lewis, and Suggs chasing down Willie Parker of the Steelers in 2006.
2007
The following season in 2007, Suggs made 80 tackles 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.2008
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.File:Roethlisberger preparing to throw.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Suggs pressures Ben Roethlisberger in 2006. Trevor Pryce is #90.
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. He earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his game against Miami. 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, two forced fumbles and eight sacks to go along with the two interceptions, a new career-high nine pass break-ups and two 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 against Ben Roethlisberger and the division-winning Pittsburgh Steelers.
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 made him the highest paid linebacker in NFL history.
2009
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 Round 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 33–14.2010
In 2010, Suggs compiled 68 tackles, 11.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass deflections. In the playoff win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card Round, he made four tackles and two sacks. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional Round, he recorded six tackles, a career-high three sacks, and a forced fumble that was recovered and returned for a touchdown by fellow defensive end Cory Redding, but the Ravens would go on to lose 24–31 after squandering a 21–7 halftime lead. He earned a fourth Pro Bowl nomination. He was ranked 40th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.2011: Defensive Player of the Year
saw Suggs have the best season of his career, which started with a Defensive Player of the Week-winning performance against the Steelers. In a 35–7 blowout, Suggs recorded three sacks and two forced fumbles, contributing heavily to the defense's seven turnovers.Suggs had two more games that season with three sacks, the second on Thanksgiving in a 16–6 win over the NFC's number-two-seeded San Francisco 49ers and the third in a 24–10 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for both performances. He finished the season with career highs in sacks and forced fumbles, tied his career high for interceptions, and also had 50 total tackles and six passes defended. He was named to his fifth Pro Bowl and first All-Pro first team.
The Ravens entered the playoffs with a 12–4 record and the number-two seed in the AFC. They had their season ended by the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship after a dropped touchdown by Lee Evans and a notorious missed field goal by Billy Cundiff. On February 4, 2012, Suggs was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. He was ranked 11th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.
2012: Super Bowl XLVII run
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. 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 season, however Suggs claimed he would return by November 2012. On October 20, 2012, Suggs was removed from the physically unable to perform list, allowing him to play the next day against the Houston Texans. Suggs has been the first player in NFL history to recover so quickly from such a serious injury. Suggs' return surprised many, as he finished the game with four tackles, one pass defended, and one sack, less than five and a half months after having Achilles tendon surgery. He finished the 2012 season with 22 total tackles, two sacks, and four passes defensed in eight games.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 New England Patriots by a score of 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. He was ranked 56th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.