More T-Sizzle

"I think I'd create him about eleven times over for my defense."

That's Cincinnati Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth speaking sweetly of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs. That's a nice little sentiment about the man across from you. Suggs was a monster last year. He's kinda been that way since the Ravens drafted him in 2003. I still think that Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen was more deserving of Defensive Player of the Year this past season. Notching 22 sacks is a difficult thing to do in the best of situations. The Vikings had little else on defense and absolutely nothing in the secondary. Everyone was running open back there. To get sacks, Allen had to do it fast. Despite my obvious feelings about Allen, Suggs was dynamite last year. On a defense with Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Haloti Ngata, Suggs was a star brighter than other stars.

I feel like I've known Terrell Suggs forever. Before he was a Raven he played for the Arizona St. Sun Devils. Conference rivals of my California Golden Bears. I feel like I watched all his games there but in reality it was more like five. Maybe it was just the impression that he made in those few games. Cal had a similar player in Tully Banta-Cain. Same uniform number too. #48. Banta-Cain was a terrific college football player. A solid professional player with a couple Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots. For someone that always seemed to be chasing Suggs, Banta-Cain leads in jewelry. One Arizona St.-Cal matchup seemed more a personal battle between the two pass rushers. Though never on the field at the same time, they each seemed to be challenging the other to "top that." It was fantastic.

Heading into the 2003 NFL Draft, many Vikings fans were drooling over Suggs. The team had been trying to find a pas rusher since Chris Doleman was taking apart offenses a decade earlier. Despite the fan's cries, the Vikings wanted a defensive tackle and found a great one in Kevin Williams. Suggs found a match in Baltimore a few picks later and it's been perfect, minus a championship. Both the Vikings and the Ravens left the first round pretty happy.

Like a stalker, I find that I've been following the football career of Terrell Suggs since high school. Always close but just outside of any direct view. He's always been somewhere in my football periphery. Dubbed "T-Sizzle", Suggs can be as entertaining off the field as he is on it. His interviews are often a riot. Some can start slow but if he gets comfortable there's no telling where it'll go. On the field it's been a real treat to follow his career as I have. I hope that he gets that ring. It's about all that's missing from his career. As long as that ring isn't at the expense of the Vikings.