Back Talk | Terrell Suggs
By James Houck
Terrell Suggs, a.k.a. T-Sizzle, sacking Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson last season.
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It’s July and for football fans, it is the season of hope. By month’s end, training camps for all 32 National Football League teams will have begun, each with the allure and attention of a Super Bowl contender. By November, the NFL elite will surface as will the non-contenders. But for now, the excitement of the upcoming season is as contagious as the gold-rush dreams of prospectors. Baltimore Raven defensive end and three-time NFL Pro Bowler Terrell Suggs was drafted by the Ravens in 2003. Born in Minnesota and raised in Arizona, Suggs has settled in Maryland and tells us about his winter pursuits, July’s training camp, and the upcoming season.
What’s Up?: Terrell, what have been some of your off-season pursuits this past spring? Any special trips, vacations, experiences, you’d like to share?
Terrell Suggs: Nothing too special so far. I've been to Las Vegas about five times and to Los Angeles a few times. Besides Hawaii for the Pro Bowl [in February] I haven’t done anything that special . . .yet!
WU: Do you enjoy our region, now that you’re settled in?
TS: I love the area! At first I didn’t like it, but then it grew on me! I really love it now. I haven’t been to the Eastern Shore yet, but I heard it’s a really fun place to go.
WU: Do you go into training camp with an intense hunger, more than ever before, when you come off a successful season in which you were one win away from reaching the Super Bowl? Is there a stronger desire to get back into pads and knock people around?
TS: Yes and no! You really want to get back in and try to top the season that you just had, but after a long season like the one we enjoyed last year, it can really take a toll on your body! I can’t wait to start playing again, but I am really enjoying my time off.
WU: What’s a game-day morning like for you? Favorite breakfast, any superstitions, physical preparation?
TS: My game-day morning is pretty simple. I wake up and eat eggs and bacon (which is my favorite meal to eat in the morning), watch some last minute film on the team I’m playing, and then drive to the stadium.
WU: You finally got into the end zone last season after intercepting a Chad Pennington pass against the Dolphins. What was that feeling like to score your first touchdown?
TS: It was amazing! And it came at a crucial time in the game. It turned the game around for us, maybe even our season!
WU: Money aside, do you consider it somewhat of an honor to be designated with the Franchise Tag by the Ravens?
TS: The first time, a little. But the second time, no. But it’s okay, we still have time to make [contract negotiations] happen!
WU: Do you expect to sign a long-term contract with the Ravens before reaching free agency?
TS: I certainly hope so! It would be a shame to lose me, Bart [Scott], and AD [Adalius Thomas]!
WU: You’re involved with a considerable number of charities and philanthropic endeavors. What are some of your favorite and what makes this type of work special to you?
TS: One of my favorite acts of charity is the Amateur Athletic Union basketball team I sponsor. It deals with two things that I love—kids and basketball. Sometimes kids just need that extra push to do something with their lives. I had plenty of people help me, so I want to help them!
WU: How’d you earn your nickname T-Sizzles? Who gave that one to you?
TS: My cousin D'Marr. He played basketball at Idaho State, and they gave him the name D-Sizzles. Since we both have the same last name he gave it to me when I was playing football at Arizona State University.
WU: Be honest. Who are the biggest jokesters in the locker room?
TS: Bart Scott. He’s not with us anymore [Scott signed with New York Jets] but he’s still one of my closest friends. He’s like my brother.
WU: As a player, do you go into the upcoming season with expectations of how you think the season will play out or do you take it one game at a time?
TS: Most definitely. Every player thinks he’s going to have a breakout season and go win a Super Bowl, but the fact of the matter is that only one, maybe two players will have both in the same year. So in the end, you have no choice but to take it one game at a time.
–James Houck, managing editor, What’s Up? Annapolis
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