This was never something you thought about when you were playing?
It went hand-in-hand, especially with guys like Hines Ward and James Harrison. We didn’t like them. It wasn’t a hate, like if we saw them on the street we weren’t going to get in a brawl. Nah, it wasn’t that kind of hate. It was a football rivalry. Their flag vs. our flag kind of thing.
You just never know. You never know who makes those decisions or what they’re thinking or what goes into it. You don’t know! With something that’s not in your hands, you don’t really want to have your mind occupied with it. It was more like, okay! I guess that’s pretty awesome!
Not at all. As Ravens, we never played for those kinds of accolades or achievements. We played for each other, loved the game, and loved what we were doing. It all just happened to pan out this way. I’m fortunate enough to be branded a Raven for life.
Are you not entertained?
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For really the entire 21st century, there has not been a force in professional football quite like the Baltimore Ravens. Since the 2000 season, only the Patriots have won more Super Bowls, and while the Pats built their franchise around a golden boy quarterback, the Ravens have always been about defense. Terrell Suggs was a pillar of that defense for 16 sizzling years. He joined the squad as a first-round pick in 2003, and by the time he left Baltimore in 2019, his resume included a Defensive Player of the Year award, seven Pro Bowls, the franchise sack record, and a 2012 Super Bowl ring he won just months after tearing his Achilles.
How did you get the news that you were being inducted into the Ring of Honor?
