Krangodnzr
Captain of Team Conner
Suggs looks to explode on NFL
By Vic Carucci
National Editor, NFL.com
(April 14, 2003) -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ' defensive domination of the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII inspired Terrell Suggs.
As a defensive end at Arizona State, Suggs took considerable pride in the fact that the guys on his side of the ball received the lion's share of glory in the biggest game of them all. Instead of a quarterback, the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player was a defensive back -- Dexter Jackson.
"Everyone wants to draft a quarterback," Suggs says, realizing that his year probably won't be an exception with USC's Carson Palmer a favorite to become the first pick. "Well, defense wins games. Offense gets the glory. But offenses have never had names like the Steel Curtain, you know what I'm saying?"
Loud and clear.
But what also is evident about this year's draft is that, while a quarterback might again be the top overall choice and a pair of receivers (Charles Rogers of Michigan State and Andre Johnson of Miami) are expected to be taken high, several defensive players are projected to be selected within the first 10 picks. Suggs is one of them.
He is considered a high-impact, game-changing player with exceptional quickness to rush the passer. Suggs, who is entering the draft as an underclassman, had an NCAA-record 24 sacks last season, seven more than the national standard former Syracuse defensive end Dwight Freeney had set in 2001. And he was just as dominant in collecting postseason honors, receiving the Lombardi, Ted Hendricks and Bronko Nagurski awards.
Kansas State QB Ell Roberson falls victim to one of Terrell Suggs' sacks.
Like Freeney, the 6-foot-3, 262-pound Suggs is a smallish player for his position. But playing as light as 250 pounds -- which was what he weighed at the end of last season -- did not stop him from having 44 sacks in only three seasons at Arizona State.
Not surprisingly, the former standout high school running back who converted to defensive end views speed as the most important ingredient to pass-rushing success. And the fun-loving, talkative Suggs still felt that way even after a disappointing 4.81-second clocking during his Pro Day workout in Arizona last month. As far as Suggs is concerned, there is a major difference between football speed and track speed, and he believes he has plenty of the speed that will count the most in the NFL.
"When that ball moves, you have to explode off the ball," he says. "That's my philosophy. It's like being shot out of a cannon. When that ball moves, I'm going."
Suggs shares his thoughts on other topics related to the draft and his career at Arizona State:
On whether he believes Freeney's 13 sacks after joining the Indianapolis Colts as a first-round draft pick last season helped his draft stock: "Yeah, because Dwight and I were in a similar situation; kind of small to be playing the position. They were talking about a position change (to outside linebacker). Dwight and I, we're true defensive ends. The simple fact is that if you're not big enough or weigh enough, teams aren't going to draft you. We're going against all odds, trying to prove to the world and GMs and offenses we can play at our size."
On whether he was surprised by his statistics last season: "Yeah, they snuck up on me. Some games I had three (sacks), some games I had four, and the next minute I was at 17, and people were like, 'You can break Dwight's record,' and I was like, 'Am I even in reach of Dwight's record?' You're just playing to win, for a bowl game -- things that are not really of yourself. Because when you put the team before you, you'll get taken care of at the end of the day."
On how a 2,000-yard running back as a senior in high school ends up a top defensive end prospect for the NFL: "I don't know. I guess because of size prototype or something. You see Eddie George as pretty much the biggest back in the NFL, and there are only one or two of those. I just knew it was probably the best thing for me to switch to defensive end."
On whether he misses playing offense: "I'd rather hit people than get hit any day. I don't want to be in no hole with a guy like Ray Lewis."
On whether he can foresee occasionally playing some offensive snaps in the NFL: "Maybe. You see Warren Sapp play tight end (in goal-line situations), so maybe they'll throw me in on the goal line. You never know. It'd be nice."
On having a similar personality to Buccaneers defensive end Simeon Rice, who is one of the NFL's best speed rushers: "We both have diarrhea of the mouth. We both love to have fun. The moment football isn't fun, I'll walk away from it. But while I am enjoying it, I will have fun. I'm a talkative person, a people person. I am always talking with a smile on my face."
On whether he is bothered by suggestions that speed rushers often are accused of being one-dimensional: "No. You just have to work on your game more. It's a challenge to take your game to the next level. You'll be a great end if you dominate the pass rush and dominate the run game. That's what I am trying to work on. I think I am decent against the run, but you can always be better in what you do. There is still that question, and we will see when I get drafted. If I get drafted."
By Vic Carucci
National Editor, NFL.com
(April 14, 2003) -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ' defensive domination of the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII inspired Terrell Suggs.
As a defensive end at Arizona State, Suggs took considerable pride in the fact that the guys on his side of the ball received the lion's share of glory in the biggest game of them all. Instead of a quarterback, the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player was a defensive back -- Dexter Jackson.
"Everyone wants to draft a quarterback," Suggs says, realizing that his year probably won't be an exception with USC's Carson Palmer a favorite to become the first pick. "Well, defense wins games. Offense gets the glory. But offenses have never had names like the Steel Curtain, you know what I'm saying?"
Loud and clear.
But what also is evident about this year's draft is that, while a quarterback might again be the top overall choice and a pair of receivers (Charles Rogers of Michigan State and Andre Johnson of Miami) are expected to be taken high, several defensive players are projected to be selected within the first 10 picks. Suggs is one of them.
He is considered a high-impact, game-changing player with exceptional quickness to rush the passer. Suggs, who is entering the draft as an underclassman, had an NCAA-record 24 sacks last season, seven more than the national standard former Syracuse defensive end Dwight Freeney had set in 2001. And he was just as dominant in collecting postseason honors, receiving the Lombardi, Ted Hendricks and Bronko Nagurski awards.
Kansas State QB Ell Roberson falls victim to one of Terrell Suggs' sacks.
Like Freeney, the 6-foot-3, 262-pound Suggs is a smallish player for his position. But playing as light as 250 pounds -- which was what he weighed at the end of last season -- did not stop him from having 44 sacks in only three seasons at Arizona State.
Not surprisingly, the former standout high school running back who converted to defensive end views speed as the most important ingredient to pass-rushing success. And the fun-loving, talkative Suggs still felt that way even after a disappointing 4.81-second clocking during his Pro Day workout in Arizona last month. As far as Suggs is concerned, there is a major difference between football speed and track speed, and he believes he has plenty of the speed that will count the most in the NFL.
"When that ball moves, you have to explode off the ball," he says. "That's my philosophy. It's like being shot out of a cannon. When that ball moves, I'm going."
Suggs shares his thoughts on other topics related to the draft and his career at Arizona State:
On whether he believes Freeney's 13 sacks after joining the Indianapolis Colts as a first-round draft pick last season helped his draft stock: "Yeah, because Dwight and I were in a similar situation; kind of small to be playing the position. They were talking about a position change (to outside linebacker). Dwight and I, we're true defensive ends. The simple fact is that if you're not big enough or weigh enough, teams aren't going to draft you. We're going against all odds, trying to prove to the world and GMs and offenses we can play at our size."
On whether he was surprised by his statistics last season: "Yeah, they snuck up on me. Some games I had three (sacks), some games I had four, and the next minute I was at 17, and people were like, 'You can break Dwight's record,' and I was like, 'Am I even in reach of Dwight's record?' You're just playing to win, for a bowl game -- things that are not really of yourself. Because when you put the team before you, you'll get taken care of at the end of the day."
On how a 2,000-yard running back as a senior in high school ends up a top defensive end prospect for the NFL: "I don't know. I guess because of size prototype or something. You see Eddie George as pretty much the biggest back in the NFL, and there are only one or two of those. I just knew it was probably the best thing for me to switch to defensive end."
On whether he misses playing offense: "I'd rather hit people than get hit any day. I don't want to be in no hole with a guy like Ray Lewis."
On whether he can foresee occasionally playing some offensive snaps in the NFL: "Maybe. You see Warren Sapp play tight end (in goal-line situations), so maybe they'll throw me in on the goal line. You never know. It'd be nice."
On having a similar personality to Buccaneers defensive end Simeon Rice, who is one of the NFL's best speed rushers: "We both have diarrhea of the mouth. We both love to have fun. The moment football isn't fun, I'll walk away from it. But while I am enjoying it, I will have fun. I'm a talkative person, a people person. I am always talking with a smile on my face."
On whether he is bothered by suggestions that speed rushers often are accused of being one-dimensional: "No. You just have to work on your game more. It's a challenge to take your game to the next level. You'll be a great end if you dominate the pass rush and dominate the run game. That's what I am trying to work on. I think I am decent against the run, but you can always be better in what you do. There is still that question, and we will see when I get drafted. If I get drafted."
