November 05, 2004 - Terrell Suggs has a secret.

"Sacking quarterbacks isn't easy," he told me before sitting down to do a chat for ESPN Videogames to talk 2K5. "It's a lot easier in the video game."

I never would've guessed, especially since Suggs already has recorded 19 sacks in his first 23 games, one of the best sack-to-game ratios in the history of the NFL for a second year player.

So if it's easier to sack quarterbacks in ESPN NFL 2K5, that must mean his opponents are placed on their polygonal behinds about twice a game from big #55, and by the way he laughs when talking tackles, I just know, this is one man who enjoys his work…maybe a little too much.

And that's one thing Jeff Garcia will have to look out for this Sunday night as the old Browns, AKA the Ravens, take on the new Browns in a divisional rivalry, where judging by the history, there are two things you can bank on, a ton of hard hits, and at least one sack by Terrell Suggs.

IGN Sports: When you buy a new football video game, do you immediately play as the Ravens to see how they rated your skills?

Terrell Suggs: That's the number one rule in my house. You can't play as anybody else but the Ravens. If you're at my house and you're playing my game, you're going to see a lot of the Ravens, that's for sure. They made me pretty good in NFL 2K5. I'm fast enough to come off of the edge, and that's all that matters.

IGN Sports: What do you do differently than other players at your position that has enabled you to amass so many sacks in your first two years?

Terrell Suggs: It's tough to tell you because I really don't know what I'm going to do or how I'm going to react until the play starts. It's all reaction. Definitely all reaction.



IGN Sports: Who were the toughest quarterbacks to sack so far in your career?

Terrell Suggs: Michael Vick is tough, he's just so fast. Daunte Culpepper is tough because he's not only fast, he's a big, strong guy out there and he's tough to bring down. Donovan McNabb isn't that hard to sack once you get to him, it's just that he has a great offensive line.

IGN Sports: When you were a kid, did you always like to watch guys who got the sacks, or were you more into the guys catching the touchdowns?

Terrell Suggs: I was always a defensive guy. Chris Doleman, Lawrence Taylor, John Randle, Charles Haley.

IGN Sports: Did you try to pattern your game after any of these guys?

Terrell Suggs: I would say Lawrence Taylor for the way he was able to pass rush from the linebacker position. Derrick Thomas is another guy I watched a lot. I tried to take the best from both of them to try and pattern my game.

IGN Sports: You talk all defense, but I heard back in high school you had a little Al Bundy in you, setting the school record by scoring five touchdowns in one game.

Terrell Suggs: I had a little bit. I was a big tailback, but I wasn't running anyone over. I was running a legit 4.5 and I was 275-pounds. I was a freak. [laughs]