Miami football legends mentored Chiefs future Hall of Famer

On the eve of Superbowl LIV, future Pro Football Hall of Famer defensive end Terrell Suggs credited Miami football legends, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed with mentoring him while the three were teammates with the Baltimore Ravens from 2003-12.

Miami football legends Ray Lewis and Ed Reed teamed with defensive end Terrell Suggs on one of the best defenses in NFL History from 2003-12. The three were part of an elite defense that led the Baltimore Ravens to a victory in Superbowl XLVII. Suggs will play in Superbowl LIV with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Suggs was acquired by the Chiefs for the final two games of the 2019 season off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals. After 16 seasons in Baltimore, Suggs was in his first season back in the desert after playing in college at Arizona State. Reed was selected in the first round by Baltimore in 2002, Suggs in 2003.

Lewis was well established in the NFL when Suggs was drafted. The Miami Football great led the Ravens defense who some consider as the best of all-time to the Super XXXIV title. Lewis was named the MVP. That was just the sixth time in Superbowl history a defensive player was named MVP.

Reed had an exceptional rookie season in 2002 after winning a national championship with the Miami football team in 2001. The Louisiana native recorded 59 tackles, 12 pass breakups and five interceptions on his way to being named to the NFL All-Rookie team. Suggs spoke about what Lewis and Reed meant to him.

"“There’s no word that really can describe it. You can’t get a better education…I just learned how to be a professional and not only that, their approach to the game and how football was their life. Their football IQ was like no other. You can’t explain it. There ain’t a class you can take to kind of learn what they know.I would tell him (Lewis), kind of like trying to brag a little bit, and he was like, ‘You may fall to us, Sizzle,’ and I was like, ‘What number are y’all?’ He was like, ‘We’ve got the 10th pick.’ I was like, ‘Nah, I’m going to gone way before that. There’s no way I’m falling to 10th,’ and he was like, ‘Nah, Sizzle, I think you may fall to us.’”"

Suggs was of course chosen 10th by the Ravens. Teaming with Lewis and Reed they gave the Ravens one of the best defensive trios in NFL history. It did not happen quickly enough for Lewis’ liking. In the days before slotted contracts, Suggs held out as a rookie. Lewis put him in his place when he reported to the Ravens.

"“He told me to get my ass to camp on time next year. They broke me down at first — they didn’t care that I was a first-round pick and did all these things in college. They didn’t care — they broke me down first, and I had to grow by wanting it. They encouraged us to be ourselves, especially those two guys.We had 10 or 12 distinct personalities in the locker room and it all worked — organized chaos. I remember giving [Ravens coach] John Harbaugh a hug, like, ‘Yo, you deal with a lot every day because of our personnel.’”"

Harbaugh has remade the Ravens on defense and offense with NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at quarterback. That allowed Suggs to move on. The all-time official leader in the history of college football now has a second chance at a ring. Suggs will eventually add a ring from the Pro Football Hall of Fame to his collection.