Terrell Suggs says Ravens' defense 'played bully football' in exclusive interview with WJZ's Rick Ritter
BALTIMORE - (Note: This is the third of three pieces in our sit-down interview with former Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs)
Baltimore Ravens legend Terrell Suggs will finally be etched into the franchise's Ring of Honor this weekend.
The retired outside linebacker will join former stars like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata, Jonathan Ogden and Mashal Yanda, among others.
Suggs will be inducted into the Ring of Honor during Sunday's Ravens game against Detroit at M&T Bank Stadium.
Suggs, the NFL's eighth all-time leader in sacks, sat down exclusively with WJZ's Rick Ritter in Scottsdale, Arizona to talk about this Ring of Honor accolade. He also talked about playing on a Ravens' defense known for its physicality and embracing that mentality.
"Most people will say it's arrogant but we were bullies. We played bully football and we wanted you to know it," Suggs said.
Suggs was a seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker and the 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He played 16 seasons (2003-18) for Baltimore and had 132.5 sacks and 37 forced fumbles with the franchise.
He was a 2003 first-round pick out of Arizona State and became a key member of Baltimore's 2012 Super Bowl XLVII-winning team.
In Part 1, Suggs recently shared with Ritter why he ultimately felt he needed to leave Baltimore and his life after football.
In Part 2, he discussed his Ravens' Super Bowl championship and playing the role of a villain.
Rick Ritter: Terrell Suggs in the Ravens Ring of Honor. How does that sound?
Terrell Suggs: "I haven't fully grasped it yet. When you're in there, you see the big names and those guys are gonna be up there forever, and you don't think it's gonna be you. You're too busy trying to win games and Super Bowls."
Ritter: This officially puts you on Mount Rushmore of Ravens football. So who are you putting on there with you?
Suggs: "Of course, you have to put the greatest LT ever, Jonathan Ogden; of course Ray Lewis, the general; and then Superman, Ed Reed; The fourth one, I guess it's my turn, but there's a lot of people. We'd need a different mountain."
Suggs: "I played with football Gods. Like who can say they played with the best left tackle ever, the best middle linebacker ever, best strong safety ever, even the best kicker ever. Who can say that? I was on the team with all these guys."
Ritter: Ravens' defense in general has stood the test of time in terms of being a tough physical defense. Your thoughts on the defense this year?
Suggs: "When you have two players who set the standard of how you are playing defense on this team for decades, years after they're done playing, that has to say something. This is the house Ray Lewis built and this is how you're gonna play defense and the guy hasn't played in 12."
Suggs: "It's giving the fans a certain feel and a certain confidence, like most people will say it's arrogant. We were bullies, we played bully football, we wanted you to know it."
Suggs: "I like the young kid coming in and putting it on the defense and saying, 'Nah, we're going to go in there and spank them.'"
Suggs: "It all depends on how good they get the feel for each other and they're clicking, and if they get rolling, especially in January, win one game at a time."
Ritter: You try to watch every Sunday?
Suggs: "I mean I do watch every Sunday. I'm not missing the Lamar Jackson show."
Ritter: Is it hard to watch and not miss it?
Suggs: "No, I mean my body it took a beating. Only thing I truly miss is the locker room. That locker room is special."
Suggs: "We had a great locker room, great group of guys and I went up to coach one time and said, 'I don't know how you do it because there was a lot of crazy guys on team and I was most demented one.'"
Suggs: "It's just that Ravens persona. We loved who we were, what we were doing, and not only that, we loved each other."
