Terrell Suggs

Terrell Raymonn Suggs (born October 11, 1982) is an American football linebacker and defensive end for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Arizona State University, and was recognized as an All-American. The Baltimore Ravens selected him with the tenth overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, and is now the team's all-time leader in sacks with 82.5. Suggs is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2011.

Early years
Suggs was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. While growing up in Saint Paul, Suggs played youth football, as a center, with future baseball player Joe Mauer. Suggs moved to Arizona either after eighth grade or after playing on Johnson Senior High School's freshman football team. 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, Suggs lettered three times in basketball and once in track and field.

College career
Suggs decided to attend Arizona State University, where he played defensive end for coach Bruce Snyder in 2000 and coach Dirk Koetter's Arizona State Sun Devils football teams from 2001 to 2002. He finished his career with 163 tackles, including a school, career-record 65.5 tackles for losses, and 44 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, and was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American.

2003-2010
Suggs was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 10th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft, becoming one of the youngest defensive players ever drafted at only 20 years old until defensive tackle Amobi Okoye was drafted by the Houston Texans at age 19 in 2007.

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 Terrell Suggs intercepted a pass from Chad Pennington of the Miami Dolphins and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown, the first 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

2011 season, Defensive Player of the Year
The 2011 season was one of Suggs' best. He was selected to the 2012 Pro Bowl in Hawaii and to the 2011 All Pro Team. Additionally, he was awarded the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for December, 2011

On January 16, 2012, it was announced that Suggs was named the Pro Football Weekly Defensive Player of the Year. The very next day, he was also named the NFL 101 AFC Defensive Player of the Year, voted on by 101 national media members.

On February 4, 2012, it was announced that Suggs was named the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the 2011 season. Suggs had registered 14 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions during the 2011 campaign. He beat out second leading vote getter Jared Allen by 7 votes.

2012 season, Super Bowl XLVII
After the conculsion 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. 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 believe that Suggs' injury should force him to miss the 2012 NFL season, but Suggs has claimed he will 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 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.

Personal life
Suggs has two children with Candace Williams. In December of 2012 an attorney representing him confirmed Suggs surrendered his firearms to police in response to a court order filed the previous month by Ms. Williams. In 2009 Williams filed a complaint against Suggs alleging he threw a soap dispenser at her head, struck her in the chest with his hand and held a bottle of bleach over her and their 1 year old son. According to a December 2012 report. In September of 2012 Suggs was accused of punching and dragging his girlfriend Candace Williams beside his car with his two children inside. A temporary protective order was placed against Suggs, causing him to surrender an Ak-47 and 6 other guns.

Despite Suggs rocky relationship with Candace Williams, the two were married on December 14, 2012.

Ravens franchise records

 * Most career sacks (84.5)
 * Most career forced fumbles (27)